| April 5, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- Wal-Mart might test selling large appliances in Texas
Wal-Mart is reportedly considering a plan to test sales of stoves, dishwashers and other large General Electric appliances at 100 stores in Texas this year, according to this article. Wal-Mart's size and low-price strategy could squeeze profits at more traditional big-appliance stores including Sears and Home Depot, but some industry watchers say the more-established appliance sellers have some advantages, including staffs trained to educate customers on the big-ticket items. The Wall Street Journal (4/4)       - Editorial: Congress right to pass "swipe fee" reform
 The fight between banks and big retailers over interchange or "swipe" fees charged on credit and debit card transactions may appear to be mere political back-and-forth, but the reality is that the retailers are on the right side. Lower fees will benefit consumers, according to this editorial. Retailers paid about $48 billion in swipe fees in 2008, or about $427 per household. USA TODAY (4/4) - Liquidators drawn to Blockbuster's bankruptcy auction
Gordon Brothers Group and Hilco Merchant Resources have teamed up to join the group bidding to buy the assets of bankrupt video-rental chain Blockbuster, with a plan to sell off the DVDs and other inventory and closing the struggling chain's remaining 1,717 stores. The bidding began in bankruptcy court Monday, and the formal auction is slated to take place today. The Wall Street Journal (4/5)  | 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. |
 - Consumers employ money-saving strategies as food prices rise
A majority of U.S. consumers plan to employ at least one money-saving strategy at the supermarket as grocery prices continue to rise, and the most popular option is coupons, according to a survey by Harris Interactive for Coupons.com. In addition to the 72% of respondents who said they plan to use coupons, 71% said they'll start comparing unit prices to get the best deal, and 66% plan to shop at discount grocery stores. MediaPost Communications/Research Brief (4/4) - Apparel merchants make a big splash in Miami Beach
Fast-fashion retailers H&M and Forever 21 are among the merchants planning to open large flagships in historic art-deco buildings in Miami Beach. This fall, Forever 21 will open a 39,000-square-foot three-story store in a historic building that was previously home to Saks, and next year H&M is slated to take up residence in 22,000 square feet of the renovated-yet-preserved Lincoln Theatre. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (4/5)  | 2 DAYS LEFT: Get half off $100 hotel gift cards powered by Expedia Networks. Treat your best staff and customers to The Hotel Card. They get $100 off a 2-night stay at 55,000 hotels (all major brands). You get a deal at $50 each for a 12—pack—plus lots of thanks and loyalty. Get bizy and buy now. |
 - Sprint will launch NFC-enabled mobile payment service this year
Sprint Nextel plans to introduce a mobile payment system using near-field communication technology this year. The number of NFC-equipped smartphones is expected to double next year from the 35 million projected to ship in 2011. Players outside the telecommunications industry, including Amazon, Microsoft, Apple and Google, are working on NFC-powered payment services. Bloomberg (4/4)  | 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. |
 - A sign of what's in store
There's a marketing opportunity that stares you in the face every day, yet you may be overlooking it, Steve Strauss writes. A good sign attracts customers, encourages impulse purchases and creates consistent impressions for your brand. Big companies know this: The average McDonald's store spends $40,000 on signage, an investment that generates up to $600,000 in sales. USA TODAY (3/28) - Taking back control from a key vendor
For 15 years, consumer-analytics firm Buxton relied on one vendor to parse data and display it for national clients including Lowe's and Weight Watchers. But when that vendor decided to limit data access, Buxton CEO Charles Wetzel says, it took nine months of late nights -- and production hours equivalent to a cost of $325,000 -- to migrate each retail account to a new system. Determined never to repeat that nightmare, Wetzel and his team ranked vendors' importance, then assigned an executive to meet as often as monthly with key suppliers to "ensure that we're always on the same page." BNET/Owners Only blog (4/4)  | Payment card data can be a primary target for criminals who feast on improperly stored information. Is your business at risk? Protect your company with First Data® TransArmor®. With multiple layers of security, the TransArmor solution is raising the bar on card data protection. Offering the best defense against fraudsters, nothing beats TransArmor solutions. |
 | Policy & Government Affairs |  | | |  | |  | | The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
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Interested in learning more about advertising in NRF SmartBrief? Contact Susan W. Kim at (202) 407-7877 or skim@smartbrief.com.  | |  | |  |
| NRF News | | | | - Merchants visit Capitol Hill today to fight delay of swipe fee reform
Dozens of members of NRF and NRF's National Council of Chain Restaurants division are on Capitol Hill today asking Congress to reject legislation that would delay swipe fee reform and require yet another government study. "We all know that in Congress 'study' is a euphemism for 'kill,'" NRF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Mallory Duncan said. "Congress has done the right thing in passing swipe fee reform. What we need to do is remind them of that." Read more. - NRF SmartStat: April 5, 2011
 Online retail and food sales are projected to make up 12% of total U.S. retail sales by 2012. Source: NRF Retail Industry Indicators
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - McDonald's aims to hire 50,000 and change the meaning of "McJob"
McDonald's and its franchisees will hold a national hiring day on April 19 to fill up to 50,000 jobs on its 600,000-person team and shake up its reputation as a creator of dead-end "McJobs." A new ad campaign will highlight career employees who have worked their way up. "We want to show people what a McJob really means to those of us who have them. About 40% of our company staff started out working in the restaurants, so the opportunities are out there in a big way," said Senior Vice President Jim Norberg, who started at the company as a 16-year-old fries maker 30 years ago. MSNBC/The Associated Press/Reuters (4/4), The Wall Street Journal (4/4) - Landry's CEO bids $137 million for McCormick & Schmick's
Landry's Restaurant founder and CEO Tilman Fertitta has made a $137 million all-cash offer to acquire McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants, a 96-restaurant company in which he already holds a 10.1% stake. Fertitta took Landry's private in a $1.4 billion deal last year, and the company has been in acquisition mode since, acquiring the Claim Jumper and Bubba Gump Shrimp chains last year and sealing a deal to acquire the Trump Marina Hotel Casino in Atlantic City from Trump Entertainment Resorts in February. The Wall Street Journal (4/4), Houston Chronicle (4/4)  | |  | | | | |  |  Internal IT Auditor II | Dollar General | Goodlettsville, TN | | Senior Manager, Retail Operations | Total Wine | Potomac, MD | | Vice President of Supply Chain & Replenishment | Total Wine | Potomac, MD | | Merchant Opportunities at Kohl's | Kohl's | Menomonee Falls, WI | | 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 | | Sr. Manager Recruiting | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Senior Corporate Internal Auditor | PetSmart, Inc. | Phoenix, AZ | | Senior Marketing Manager | Stage Stores, Inc. | Houston, TX | | Director of Customer Loyalty | Aeropostale | New York, NY | | Vice-President 24HourFitness.com | 24 Hour Fitness | San Ramon, CA | | Senior Project Manager | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Energy Manager | Tractor Supply Company | Brentwood, TN | | General Manager, Merchandise | Smithsonian Enterprises | Washington, DC | | Inventory Manager | Tractor Supply Company | Brentwood, TN | | | |  | |  |
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