Philanthropy is good for business at Overstock

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April 18, 2011 News for the retail industry   Industry Watch    Big Lots tests location upgrades amid lower rents Big Lots has big plans to increase its presence in the Minneapolis/St. Paul market with three new stores in "A" locations, the chain's first test of a strategy aimed at upgrading its image and broadening its appeal to wealthier suburban shoppers. The time is right, the company says, since the recession has left a plethora of valuable vacant retail spaces and landlords are lowering rents and offering steep concessions to fill them. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) (4/17) Wal-Mart makes big push into smaller markets Wal-Mart's newest store is a garage-sized prototype on the University of Arkansas campus, which the company expects to be the first of at least 40 smaller locations to launch this year, selling a pared-down selection of low-priced merchandise including fresh and packaged foods and over-the-counter medications. The new format, aimed at giving Wal-Mart a presence in small shopping districts, have some small, local merchants gearing up to face the competition. National Public Radio (4/17)   Philanthropy is good for business at Overstock Companies slowed down their cash donations during the recession, but some, including online retailer Overstock.com, found ways to increase their giving levels along with their reputations among socially conscious consumers. Overstock's Worldstock Fair Trade program gives artisans in developing countries a way to sell their goods globally, and the program has created more than 10,000 jobs. The Deseret News (Salt Lake City) (4/17) No more double or triple coupons at Kroger Kroger changed a policy in place since 1983 and is no longer allowing doubling or tripling of coupons. At least one shopper vowed to go elsewhere. "We have to change our whole plan, our whole strategy for grocery shopping," said Tiffany Ivanovsky, who appeared on the TLC show "Extreme Couponing." KTRK-TV (Houston) (4/12) Other News Plastic bags no longer used at New Frontiers stores The Daily Courier (Prescott, Ariz.) (4/16) 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.   Retail trends    Study: Retailers take different tacks to cope with higher costs Securing longer-term materials deals and simplifying designs are two key ways merchants can offset at least some of the effects of higher commodities pricing, a trend that's likely to hit with full force during this fall's back-to-school shopping season, according to a study from AlixPartners. Many retailers are also likely to raise prices by 10% or more this fall, a shift that's forecast to pinch sales for moderately priced goods while going barely noticed among luxury shoppers, the study says. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (4/18) 9 men charged with selling counterfeit clothes in Chicago shops Police arrested nine men in Chicago after raids on their shops last week netted $150,000 in counterfeit apparel and shoes bearing brand names including Nike and Timberland. Authorities were tipped off to the possibility of a counterfeit ring in early March, and made undercover purchases at the shop and did other surveillance before last week's raids of five stores. Chicago Tribune (4/16) Perfume spritzers give way to more scents-able practices Department stores are noticing that many shoppers are so anxious to avoid perfume-spritzing models that they may bypass the cosmetics department altogether. Bloomingdale's policy is for spritzers to spray the scent on a blotter rather than directly on customers, Lord & Taylor limits the number of scent sprayers, and Nordstrom plans to eliminate all of its spritzers by this summer, in favor of fragrance advisers who help customers choose a scent based on their personal preferences. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (4/15) Learn about the top insurance risks manufacturers face today with Zurich's Virtual Consulting tool. Sign up for FREE access today!   Retail Technology  Online retailers race to make mobile shopping easier Smartphone owners are itching to use their devices for shopping, but tiny keyboards and slow-loading websites designed to work best on full-size computers are holding them back -- only about 2% of sales come from mobile shoppers, according to reports from retailers. Now, many are racing to create apps and mobile-optimized shopping sites in an effort to capture more sales and mirror the success of companies such as eBay that are effectively reaching mobile shoppers. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (4/17) Financial Control. Find the right Card to help you get more for your business • Purchasing Power • Savings on business expenses • Cash flow flexibility • More rewards American Express OPEN®. Apply Now.   Hot Topics  Top five news stories selected by NRF SmartBrief readers in the past week. Baby formula proves the biggest ticket for retail thieves (ABC News) Urban Outfitters targets global markets (The Philadelphia Inquirer) Macy's boosts service training (The Wall Street Journal) Wal-Mart campaign touts more items and low prices (The Wall Street Journal) Amazon tops Forbes' list of fastest-growing retailers (Forbes) Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.   Sponsored Content    Can Starting Unstoppable Fires Help Your Business? Rohit Bhargava Hiring Plans Increasing, But So Are Cash Flow Concerns (Chart) Jason Del Rey What's Holding Up All The Hiring? Darren Dahl 7 Reasons Why A Bad Economy Is A Good Thing Mike Michalowicz The Most Important Word In Business John Mariotti Most Popular Headlines from Last Week Tip Sheet: Debunking Dining Etiquette Katie Morell 4 Indulgences Your Business Can't Afford Ken Kaufman 10 Personality Traits That Kill Entrepreneurship Alana Horowitz Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.   NRF News  Tips for delivering a great mobile site experience Want to improve the quality of your mobile site? Join executives from Branding Brand and AlertSite for a STORES Knowledge Series webinar on May 5 as they discuss how mobile site functioning impacts visitors' experience, actionable data you should be collecting from mobile customers and key strategies for one-upping the competition. Learn more. NRF SmartStat: April 18, 2011 Clothing and clothing accessory stores sales jumped 3.4% during March 2011 compared to the same time last year. Source: NRF.   Shop.org hosts half-day Online Marketing Workshop May 3 in New York Join Shop.org on May 3 in New York for educational sessions incorporating findings from the latest State of Retailing Online plus trends in e-mail marketing, social commerce and more. Located in Macy's flagship building, the workshop precedes a free New York City networking dinner. Shop.org retail member companies receive one free pass to the workshop. Additional passes are available for $395. Learn more. Learn more about NRF -> Join NRF  |  Govt Relations  |  NRF Events  |  STORES  |  NRF Foundation   Chain Restaurant News  Eateries morph from mobile to brick-and-mortar Hoboken, N.J.-based Taco Truck kept its name even after opening its first brick-and-mortar restaurant last July, one of two New Jersey food trucks that recently expanded into eateries without wheels. Taco Truck's five partners had ambitious plans from the beginning, and expect to operate five full-service restaurants by the end of next year. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (4/15) How restaurants are getting ready for new calorie rules Some restaurant chains have been preparing for new rules that will require them to post calorie counts while others are now hustling to get ready for the federal changes, set to take effect six months after the Food and Drug Administration issues the final rules. Nutrition software provider My Menus has seen its client list jump 30% in the past six months for services that include having dietitians analyze menus. "A lot of restaurants are scrambling to figure out how they will do it. Over 5,000 restaurant chains will be affected," said Kevin Wade, vice president of My Menus. The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (4/17), FastCasual.com (4/15) Other News DQ franchisee secures $26.5 million to acquire 58 more stores QSRWeb.com (4/15) Johnny Rockets makes the shift to digital menu boards SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Restaurants (4/18)   Career Track  Director of Store Operations Five Below, Inc. Philadelphia, PA 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 Retail Store Manager Kitty Hawk Kites/Kitty Hawk Surf Company Rodanthe, NC Divisional Merchandise Manager- 2 positions available/Softlines and Consumables Headquarters Marine Corps, MWR & Business Operations Quantico, VA Learning Solutions Manager - Southeast Region Petsmart, Inc Multiple Locations, United States Learning Solutions Manager - Northeast Region Petsmart, Inc Multiple Locations, United States Senior Marketing Manager Stage Stores, Inc. Houston, TX Director of Campaign Analysis Chico's FAS, Inc. Fort Myers, FL Inventory Manager Tractor Supply Company Brentwood, TN Marketing Manager Coupon Team Target Minneapolis, MN Senior Manager, Site Planning Target 55402, MN Business Process Consultant Target.com Target Minneapolis, MN   SmartQuote  The true spirit of conversation consists in building on another man's observation, not overturning it." --Edward Bulwer-Lytton, British politician and writer   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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