| March 24, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
 | Akamai - The Right Partner with the Right Solution
Are you failing to to satisfy user expectations for an outstanding online shopping experience? Do you need to accelerate your dynamic content? Do you strive to be a retailer that pushes the envelope with site technology and offerings? Learn why the Akamai Dynamic Site Accelerator is the right solution for those issues and more. |
 - Best Buy retools to win customers back from rivals
Best Buy is on a mission to change its image and reclaim sales lost to rivals including Wal-Mart and Amazon. Under CEO Brian Dunn, the consumer-electronics chain is testing less-cluttered layouts similar to those of Apple stores, training employees to demonstrate to customers how gadgets work together and moving away from promotions to everyday low pricing. Bloomberg (3/23)       - Express' largest shareholder plans public offering
Express' largest shareholder, Golden Gate Private Equity, will join others including Limited Brands and members of the company's management team to sell 16.5 million Express shares in a public offering valued at up to $339 million. Investors took the company public almost a year ago, and recently Express beat analysts estimates on fourth-quarter earnings and forecast mid-single digit same-store sales growth for the remainder of 2011. The Washington Post/The Associated Press (3/22) - Inditex to accelerate expansion in stores, online
Inditex reported a 14% increase in fourth-quarter income and said it will accelerate both its store and online expansion plans. The largest clothing retailer in the world plans to add up to 500 outlets in 2011 despite slower consumer spending in Europe and the U.S. The company plans to focus on Asia, where consumer spending is rising. Later this year, the company plans to launch online sales for brands beyond Zara. Bloomberg (3/23)  | Complimentary Aberdeen Cross-Channel Research
Learn what your competitors are planning and doing now to advance from multi-channel to integrated cross-channel retailing, and how you can keep pace. This in-depth, 30-page market research report - a $399 value - is now yours at no cost. |
 | Retail trends |  | | | - Consumers may be suffering from daily deal fatigue
Traffic is slowing at Groupon and other daily deal and flash-sale sites after two years of high double-digit sales increases, a sign that may point to consumers having reached their saturation point with the inundation of daily deal e-mails. Daily deals may be "kind of like social networking," said Larry Joseloff, a vice president of Shop.org. "At one point everyone was trying to build a social network, but there can be some overkill. A normal individual is not willing to be part of 10 networks." CNNMoney.com (3/23) - Chinese police tracked source of 30,000 counterfeit items
 Police in Qingdao, China, followed a twisting trail of middlemen and go-betweens to trace the source of 30,000 counterfeit suitcases, handbags and hats seized last October. The months-long investigation that included tracing shell companies, scouring ATM videos and a 10-hour stakeout in the rain resulted in the arrest of 14 suspects. China Daily (Beijing) (3/23) - What does the future of customer loyalty look like?
Social media gave us customer "loyalty 2.0," with its focus on building relationships with key influencers, but it's time for the next evolution of loyalty programs, Carol Roth writes. Rather than focusing entirely on either "spenders" or "senders," brands should develop loyalty programs that reach out to both by catering to individual customers' needs. "True customer loyalty stems from making your customer feel important, but in whatever way resonates with him or her," Roth writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media (3/23)  | A Strategic Overview for Multi-Channel Retailers
E-commerce growth has significantly impacted the retail industry. Mail and phone orders will continue to exist, but are increasingly ceding ground to e-commerce. Download this white paper to learn more about the retail trends and strategies needed to thrive in the retail industry. |
 | Policy & Government Affairs | | | | - New credit-card regulations could penalize stay-at-home spouses
New regulations from the Federal Reserve that require consumers to state "income" rather than "household income" on credit-card applications could make it tougher for spouses who don't work for pay outside the home to get credit, writes NRF's J. Craig Shearman. The rules stem from a provision in the 2009 Credit CARD Act and were originally aimed to ensure that people under 21 weren't obtaining credit cards they couldn't afford. "Since most stay-at-home spouses are women, this could put women back more than 20 years in terms of their access to credit," said NRF's general counsel Mallory Duncan. NRF Washington Retail Insight (3/23) - Letter: New debit-card fee rules would create more competition, NRF's CEO writes
New rules setting caps on bank fees charged to merchants on debit card transactions actually make the system more competitive than the current system in which the higher fees are set by card companies, writes NRF CEO and President Matthew Shay in a letter aimed at clearing up points made in a recent Wall Street Journal editorial. "Retailers are trying to lower these fees and pass the savings along to our customers. Whether we like it or not, a transparent and competitive marketplace will force that result but it will leave our customers with more to spend." The Wall Street Journal/Letters (3/23)
| NRF News | | | | - Register for NRF's LP '11 by Friday and save $300
Hear how retailers like Starbucks, Donna Karan, GAP, Kroger, Barnes and Noble and Winn-Dixie are addressing loss prevention issues at this year's NRF Loss Prevention Conference & EXPO. Register for the 2011 event by Friday and save $300 off the onsite rate. The conference is scheduled for June 13-15 in Dallas. Register or learn more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - 16 Handles expands as other fro-yo chains close stores
New York City-based frozen-yogurt chain 16 Handles has plans to open five new Northeast franchise locations this spring, even as rivals are shrinking in the area. Competitors including Red Mango, Yogurberry and Yolato have all announced plans to close New York City stores amid high Manhattan rents and distinctly seasonal demand for the warm-weather treats. Crain's New York Business (3/22) | Career Track | | | |  | |  | | | | |  |  Merchant Opportunities at Kohl's | Kohl's | Menomonee Falls, WI | | Senior Buyer, Sports & Outdoors | Amazon.com | Seattle, WA | | Senior Marketing Manager | Stage Stores, Inc. | Houston, TX | | Senior Project Manager | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Director of Customer Loyalty | Aeropostale | New York, NY | | Vice-President 24HourFitness.com | 24 Hour Fitness | San Ramon, CA | | Regional Retail Point of Sale (ROPS) Coordinator/NTE 2 years | Headquarters, MCCS | Quantico, VA | | Industrial Engineer LOGS | Walmart | Bentonville, AR | | Sr. Strategy Project Manager, Logistics | Walmart | Bentonville, AR | | Senior Planner, Various Categories | Walmart | Bentonville, AR | | Replenishment Manager | Walmart | Bentonville, AR | | Distribution Center Area Director | PetSmart | Atlanta, GA | | Softlines Sourcing Manager | Meijer | Grand Rapids, MI | | Energy Manager | Tractor Supply Company | Brentwood, TN | | Senior Marketing Manager, Search Engine Optimization | macys.com | San Francisco, CA | | General Manager, Merchandise | Smithsonian Enterprises | Washington, DC | | Retail Manager | Tri-County Feeds | Marshall, VA | | Inventory Manager | Tractor Supply Company | brentwood, TN | | | |  | |  |
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