Francesca's Holdings plans $150 million IPO

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April 20, 2011 News for the retail industry   Industry Watch    Gap streamlines international operations Gap announced a plan this week to consolidate its international operations into one division to be headed by new President Stephen Sunnucks, as part of a strategy to accelerate global growth. The division will oversee operations at all of Gap's brands in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Asia Pacific and South America. The company also announced plans to open its first overseas Old Navy store in Japan next year. The Philadelphia Inquirer/The Associated Press (4/19), InternetRetailer.com (4/19) Athleta to open its first NYC store Gap-owned sportswear brand Athleta will open its first store in Manhattan this fall, in a 3,500-square-foot space on the city's Upper West Side. Gap paid $150 million for the brand in 2008 and opened its 5,000-square-foot San Francisco flagship in January. Crain's New York Business (4/19) Francesca's Holdings plans $150 million IPO The operator of Francesca's Collections stores plans to go public with an IPO slated to raise up to $150 million, which the company plans to use to pay down debt, expand its store base and increase online sales. The apparel and accessory shops, designed to look more like independent boutiques than chain stores, target 18-to-35-year-old fashion fans. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model)/Dow Jones Newswires (4/19) Sources: Jones Group prepares bid to buy Jimmy Choo Apparel retailer Jones Group is reportedly one of three companies preparing bids to acquire designer shoe company Jimmy Choo. Some reports put the shoe label's value at as much as $813.4 million -- the price of 1.03 million pairs of Jimmy Choo sandals. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model)/Dow Jones Newswires (4/19), The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model)/Deal Journal (4/19) Other News Lowe's to hand out 1 million free saplings to celebrate Earth Day American City Business Journals/Jacksonville, Fla. (4/19) Residents of Top Rung neighborhoods are always in style, preferring to shop at retailers such as Nordstrom and Macy's. They also shop online and are avid readers. How can you find this type of customer? Esri Business Analyst Online enables you to identify your best customers and find more like them. Check out the free Esri ZIP Code Lookup tool.   Retail trends    Why you should urge customers to use their loyalty rewards Consumers neglect to cash in about a third of the loyalty points they earn worth an average of about $205 a year, according to a recent study. While that may be good for short-term profits for businesses, it's a bad sign for customer engagement and creating long-term relationships, says Kelly Hlavinka. "In short, redemption is good," Hlavinka says. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (4/19) How malls keep shoppers around and spending Mall designers and merchants make thousands of unseen decisions aimed at keeping shoppers there long enough to close the deal, a fact writer Caitlin Kelly discovered after taking a part-time job at The North Face. Kelly explores how malls and retailers such as Urban Outfitters and Apple create an atmosphere that encourages consumers to spend. Fortune (subscription required) (4/19) Rona CEO: Canadian retailers can hold their own Canadian merchants have weathered the advances of U.S. retailers in years past, and they're well-positioned to survive as Target and other large chains push northward in search of new business, said Robert Dutton, CEO of Canadian home-improvement chain Rona. "For the last 20 years, with each new arrival, pundits have been predicting that the retail business will be fully globalized in a matter of hours," said Dutton, whose company commanded more of the Canadian market than Home Depot and Lowe's combined last year. Reuters (4/19)   Other News Survey: Consumers talk a good green game, but lack follow-through MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (4/19) Despite being a backbone enterprise application, Enterprise Resource Planning is often misunderstood. In this guide from Focus, top experts provide their suggestions and recommendations to guide you through your evaluation of the best choices. Unravel the complexities of ERP once and for all to make an informed buying decision by downloading this free white paper.   Retail Technology  Digital coupon app taps into live TV A new application from IntoNow lets TV viewers press a button while a commercial is running to access mobile coupons they can use in brick-and-mortar retail stores. The app is available for iPhones and iPads, and the company plans to release an Android version in the next two months. MediaPost Communications/Online Media Daily (4/20) The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS) Nurture Kids, Generate Traffic with PLAYTIME! Over 400,000 families EXPERIENCE PLAYTIME daily — more than 150 million annually! Whether the environment is indoor, outdoor, or if you are a retailer or developer — trust PLAYTIME to custom-create a stunning play area that increases shopper frequency and length of stay. Visit www.experienceplaytime.com or contact David O'Niones (DavidO@ExperiencePlaytime.com, 303-662-0302) to learn more. Interested in learning more about advertising in NRF SmartBrief? Contact Susan W. Kim at (202) 407-7877 or skim@smartbrief.com.     Sponsored Content    How To Source, Produce And Finance An Overseas Export Laurel Delaney 8 Ways Your Sleep Habits Could Be Holding You Back Mike Michalowicz How To Create A Professional Online Image At Low To No Cost Annie Mueller How Losing Personal Attachments Can Help You Realize Ambition STEPHEN SHAPIRO Why Small Business Owners Feel A High Tax Burden Kate Lister   NRF News  Former Borders, HSN exec Rob Gruen elected to RAMA Board of Directors The Retail Advertising and Marketing Association has announced that Rob Gruen, executive vice president of marketing and business development at Array Marketing, will serve as second vice chairman of the board of directors for a two-year term. With more than 30 years of retail experience with brands such as Parisian, Meijer, and Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Gruen has also served as executive vice president for marketing at both Borders and HSN. Read more. NRF SmartStat: April 20, 2011 More than 200 retail companies joined NRF in 2010. View a list of new members.   New ORC legislation in Texas highlights vital role of state retail associations While retail associations in Arizona, Massachusetts, and New Jersey have developed strong loss prevention communities within their states, a new ORC bill before the Texas legislature has a strong ally behind the scenes -- the Texas Retail Association. In a recent post on Retail's BIG Blog, NRF's Joe LaRocca shares how state retail associations are interfacing with local legislators to impact organized retail crime. Read more. Learn more about NRF -> Join NRF  |  Govt Relations  |  NRF Events  |  STORES  |  NRF Foundation   Chain Restaurant News  Thousands of job seekers turn out for McDonald's hiring day Managers at a Cincinnati McDonald's had interviewed 100 job prospects by 10 a.m. Tuesday and had 25 more waiting in the wings. The chain's highly publicized push to hire 50,000 workers in one day brought out thousands of job seekers. Industry watchers say the event and its attendant media blitz was more about changing the chain's reputation for creating "McJobs" than it was about filling positions that are typically open this time of year. USA TODAY/The Associated Press (4/19) Other News How BBI built on its strengths as a family business QSR Magazine (4/2011) Flagship Store Manager MacKenzie-Childs New York, NY Assistant Buyer Headquarters Marine Corps/MWR & Business Operations Quantico, VA Business Analyst-Merchandising Headquarters Marine Corps/MWR & Business Operations Quantico, VA Fixtures & Equipment Project Manager PetSmart Phoenix, AZ Director of Store Operations Five Below, Inc. Philadelphia, PA Retail Store Manager Kitty Hawk Kites/Kitty Hawk Surf Company Rodanthe, NC Senior Marketing Manager Stage Stores, Inc. Houston, TX Inventory Manager Tractor Supply Company Brentwood, TN Director of Campaign Analysis Chico's FAS, Inc. Fort Myers, FL Marketing Manager Coupon Team Target Minneapolis, MN Senior Manager, Site Planning Target 55402, MN Business Process Consultant Target.com Target Minneapolis, MN   SmartQuote  The sad truth is that excellence makes people nervous." --Shana Alexander, American journalist   This SmartBrief was created for cpgbrokers.data@blogger.com   Subscriber Tools       Update account information | Change e-mail address | Unsubscribe | Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Grab our News Widget Publish your Press Release   Advertise Associate Publisher:  Susan W. 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