 | April 27, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- Home improvement stores fight it out with flowers
Lowe's and Home Depot have taken up an annual rite of spring -- the battle to win over home gardeners by discovering and developing new plants shoppers can only find at their stores. This year, Home Depot has the exclusive on the "Stellar Blue" ageratum that requires less clipping, while only Lowe's offers the "Double Ballerina" African daisy. The average American household spent $63 on flowering plants last year, and for every dollar they spend on plants they spend $3 on hoses, shovels and other gardening tools. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (4/27)       - Saks CEO shares post-recession growth strategy
Saks weathered the recession and sales are on the upswing, but the luxury chain isn't sitting still, said Chairman and CEO Stephen I. Sadove. The post-recession game plan includes a focus on growth in online sales, increasing the footprint for Off 5th outlet stores, department store renovations and a big push to differentiate itself with new merchandise exclusives, Sadove said. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (4/27) - Wal-Mart chief touts progress in U.S. turnaround
Wal-Mart's effort to turn around sales by returning thousands of dropped items to the shelves is driving more store traffic, and assortments in the food and general merchandise areas are on their way to having the right mix of products, said CEO Mike Duke this week. Speaking at a conference, Duke reiterated that the company's first priority is increasing same-store sales in the U.S., after seven consecutive quarters of declines. The Sun (Baltimore)/Reuters (4/26) - Madewell unveils Manhattan flagship
J.Crew's Madewell brand recently opened its 22nd and largest store, a 6,500-square-foot flagship in a landmark building in New York City's Flatiron neighborhood. The two-story shop includes a 300-square-foot shoe shop, a larger home-goods section and a 2,000-square-foot pop-up shop selling items from favorite stores around town. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (4/26)  | How reliable is your analyses? Only Esri has added color-coded Reliability symbols to the latest American Community Survey (ACS) Housing and Population Summary reports to alert you if a sampling error is too large. Each report includes the latest ACS data on employment, income, home value, and more. Buy now or learn more about how Esri enhances ACS data. | - Expert: Don't count out green product sales just yet
Consumers never liked to pay more for "green" household cleaners and other products, and the ones that have seen success with shoppers are the ones that are priced the same as conventional products, writes author and environmental consultant Andrew Winston. Winston refutes points made in a recent article that said consumers turned away from pricier green products during the downturn. Harvard Business Review (4/2011)  | Discover what risks could be lurking in your vacant commercial property with Zurich's guide 'Empty building, full of risk: Protecting your vacant commercial properties'. Click here for your FREE download! |
 | Retail Technology |  | | | - App provides self-service features for grocery shoppers
An Apple iPhone application from Modiv Media lets grocery shoppers scan products as they move through the aisles, access personalized promotions and speed up the checkout process at the end. Stop & Shop Supermarket is the first chain to adopt the Scan It! app, which users activate by taking a picture of their customer-loyalty card. MIT Technology Review online (4/25)   | Policy & Government Affairs | |  | | |  | - NYC councilwoman wants to prosecute fake bag buyers
Consumers who buy fake designer bags and other counterfeit items on the streets of New York City would face jail time or a $1,000 fine under a measure being pushed by City Councilwoman Margaret Chin. "We don't want to be known as the place to come to get counterfeit goods," she said. The Hill (4/26)  | Retailers need to maximize profits from every inch of their retail stores in order to meet heightened expectations for personalized customer service and improve the profitability of their stores. Learn more about maximizing space utilization while localizing and tailoring assortment mix, pricing, and promotions in this free white paper. |
| NRF News | | | | - Retailers, visit the NRF Loss Prevention EXPO hall for free
Featuring more than 200 solution providers spread over 32,000 square feet of exhibit hall space, the NRF Loss Prevention Conference exhibit floor delivers solutions that define the next generation of asset protection, shrink and fraud reduction, and risk management. The 2011 Loss Prevention Conference & EXPO will be held June 13-15 at Gaylord Texan Resort & Conference Center in Dallas. Retailers, register for your EXPO hall pass and walk the floor for free. Learn more. - NRF SmartStat: April 27, 2011
 More than 2,500 people like NRF on Facebook. View the page.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Starbucks to build on Via's success with new instant-drink offerings
Starbucks plans to expand its offerings in the instant beverage and ready-made food categories after seeing better-than-expected success for its Via instant coffees. Starbucks began selling Via coffee in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan this month, and the instant brews now are available in about 40,000 outlets in six countries. On a tour to promote his new book this week, CEO Howard Schultz also detailed plans to double the chain's presence in China to 70 cities. Bloomberg (4/26) - Saladworks says "tell us about it" 24/7
Saladworks has upgraded its guest relations website to answer questions and complaints from guests in real time and round-the-clock. At SaladworksListens.com, visitors also can rate their experiences and get to know their local franchisees, whose pictures and bios are posted on the site. QSRMagazine.com (4/26)  | |  | | The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
Enhance the Shopping Experience with PLAYTIME! Big box retailers, department stores and warehouse clubs have plenty of room to offer a unique and entertaining experience for families. EXPERIENCE PLAYTIME and get ready for a crowd. 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.  | | |  | |  |
 | |  | | | | |  |  General Manager, Retail E-Commerce & Catalog | Smithsonian Enterprises | Washington, DC | | Online Business Manager | Spencer Gifts | Egg Harbor Township, NJ | | DVP Real Estate | Spirit Halloween | Egg Harbor Township, NJ | | Manager IS Data Center & Wintel | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Buyer - Mens Outdoor/Sportswear | Bealls Department Stores | Bradenton, FL | | Flagship Store Manager | MacKenzie-Childs | New York, NY | | Director of Store Operations | Five Below, Inc. | Philadelphia, PA | | Retail Store Manager | Kitty Hawk Kites/Kitty Hawk Surf Company | Rodanthe, NC | | Marketing Manager Coupon Team | Target | Minneapolis, MN | | Senior Manager, Site Planning | Target | 55402, MN | | Business Process Consultant Target.com | Target | Minneapolis, MN | | | |  | |  |
| SmartQuote | | | |  | Economic systems are not value-free columns of numbers based on rules of reason, but ways of expressing what varying societies believe is important."
--Gloria Steinem,
American journalist and women's rights advocate  |
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