 | April 22, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
| Industry Watch |  |  | | - Macy's, Old Navy debut eco-friendly moves for Earth Day
Macy's detailed several new green initiatives this week, including plans to replace clear plastic hangers with matte black recycled ones, rid its in-store restaurants of foam cups and dishes, and add electric-car charging stations at six San Diego area stores. Other retailers taking steps in a greener direction include Old Navy, which has created a program to turn used flip flops into playgrounds. St. Louis Post-Dispatch (4/21)      - Bergdorf Goodman to crowdsource upcoming Fendi bag design
Bergdorf Goodman has created a Facebook contest designed to draw in throngs of would-be designers competing to design a new Fendi 2Bag for fall. Contestants have until Sunday to choose colors and other design features. Social media users will then vote for their favorites, and Fendi designers will choose the winner from the five that win the most votes. Yahoo!/Mashable (4/21) - Lilly Pulitzer, Kraft join forces again for cause-marketing effort
Barnum's Animals Crackers has renewed its social media-driven, cause-marketing partnership with upscale clothing brand Lilly Pulitzer. The Kraft Foods unit is providing 1.5 million boxes decorated in a colorful Pulitzer print to the company's 90 franchised and corporate outlets and department store boutiques, and making a donation to the Urban Arts Partnership as part of Pulitzer's "Lilly Loves the Arts" banner. The campaign is promoted on Facebook and Twitter by both brands. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (4/21)  | Business Gold Rewards Card®
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  - Recession soils sales of green household products
Consumers cheered -- and paid -- for eco-friendly household cleaners and other products before the downturn, but recession-era belt tightening led to a decline in sales for earth-friendly items from brands including Green Works, whose annual sales declined from a 2008 high of $100 million to about $60 million. "Every consumer says, 'I want to help the environment, I'm looking for eco-friendly products.' But if it's one or two pennies higher in price, they're not going to buy it," said consultant David Donnan. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (4/21) - Robin Lewis on "The New Rules of Retail"
 Retail consultant-turned-author Robin Lewis is outspoken in his beliefs about what retailers need to do to survive in the coming years, as consumers continue to use new technology to shop smarter. Department stores need to create experiences to compete with lower-priced specialty stores, he says, citing J.C. Penney and Macy's creation of specialty branded shops-within-the-store as examples. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (4/22) - Exclusive brands, loyal fans give some merchants room to raise prices
Retailers such as Lululemon, Tiffany and Coach that have inspired almost cult-like loyalty among fans who can't find their products anywhere else have more room to pass along price increases without risking a loss of business, some analysts say. The issue is critical this year, as retailers struggle to keep customers shopping as cotton, fuel and other commodity costs push up the price of finished goods. Investor's Business Daily (4/21)  | Utilize the Zurich Enterprise Risk Management Healthcheck assessment tool to get a better understanding of your current ERM strategy with recommendations for improvement. Sign up for FREE access today! |
 - Sears Canada adds Skype-based fashion sharing service
 Fashion boutiques within 10 Sears Canada stores now allow style-conscious shoppers to consult with friends via Skype while they're trying on new looks. This and other tech-driven initiatives, including a place on the website where consumers can design their own furniture, is part of a bigger plan to shake off the chain's staid image and boost sales by attracting a new generation of shoppers. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (4/21)  | Turning Online Shopper Uncertainty into a New Source of Sales and Profits. Eliminating consumer uncertainty is a challenge for all online merchants. The question is, how can you address shoppers' concerns and increase sales and profits in the process? Download the buySAFE white paper to learn more NOW! |
| NRF News | | | | - NRF exec says "blunt conversation" needed to address Internet sales tax issue
The online tax stalemate has lasted for far too long, according to NRF senior vice president David French, who discusses the need for federal legislation over online sales tax collection. "While conservatives and liberals fight over big picture issues like taxes and spending, real Main Street retailers are caught in the crossfire, and jobs are at stake. This may be our last, best chance," French says. Read more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Better-burger trend sparks chains' shift to higher quality beef
The rapid growth of Five Guys Burgers & Fries and other high-end burger joints is due in large part to recession-era trade-downs by guests who in better days would have opted for steak, says Technomic's Darren Tristano. The popularity of the new breed of chains has spurred established quickservice chains including McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King to shift to higher-quality beef and other ingredients, he says. NPR.org (4/21) - Seattle's Best chief challenges parent brand Starbucks
Michelle Gass took on a very different challenge when she left her post as Starbucks' global strategy chief to lead the company's effort to revamp its Seattle's Best brand in 2009. Since then, Gass has simplified the packaging and aggressively signed new licensing deals with nontraditional venues from airlines to movie theaters. The brew is now served in more than 50,000 locations, 12 times as many as a year ago. Bloomberg (4/21)  | |  | | | | |  |  General Manager, Retail E-Commerce & Catalog | Smithsonian Enterprises | Washington, DC | | Buyer - Mens Outdoor/Sportswear | Bealls Department Stores | Bradenton, FL | | 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 | | Senior Marketing Manager | Stage Stores, Inc. | Houston, TX | | Director of Store Operations | Five Below, Inc. | Philadelphia, PA | | Retail Store Manager | Kitty Hawk Kites/Kitty Hawk Surf Company | Rodanthe, NC | | 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 | | | |  | On Spaceship Earth there are no passengers; everybody is a member of the crew. We have moved into an age in which everybody's activities affect everybody else."
--Marshall McLuhan,
Canadian educator, philosopher and scholar
quoted for Earth Day, April 22, 2011  |
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