| May 16, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
| Industry Watch |  |  | | - Wal-Mart thinks small to swell big-city presence
Wal-Mart's Neighborhood Market in Indianapolis is a smaller grocery store focused largely on fresh produce and baked goods, a prototype the chain hopes will work in high-density neighborhoods in Chicago and other large U.S. cities. The company also plans to debut an even smaller concept, the 15,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Express, near its Bentonville, Ark., headquarters this summer. Chicago Tribune (5/14)      - Wal-Mart investors to look for signs of U.S. turnaround: Rising gas prices and ongoing high unemployment continue to put pressure on Wal-Mart's U.S. shoppers, making it unlikely that the retail giant will report domestic same-store sales increases when it releases first-quarter results on Tuesday. In addition to ongoing efforts to revitalize U.S. operations with a return to its role as a low-price leader, Wal-Mart has greatly expanded its online operations and is growing overseas. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (5/16)
- Safeway takes on mixed-use development in Washington, D.C.
Safeway plans to convert a 34,000-square-foot store in Washington, D.C., to a mixed-use development with a 58,000-square-foot store, about 150 apartments and 10 to 15 town homes. It will be the third such development in the region with Safeway as co-developer, after a nearly complete residential and retail project in Wheaton, Md., and a project, seeking zoning approval, for a store, apartments and parking in D.C. The Washington Post/Capital Business (5/15)  | Business Gold Rewards Card® from American Express OPEN has unlimited Membership Rewards® points potential:
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  - How lower "swipe fees" will affect consumers
Lower fees on debit-card transactions would give retailers a significant reason to offer shoppers incentives ranging from across-the-board discounts to enhanced loyalty rewards for using their debit cards, says NRF general counsel Mallory Duncan. The Fed rule is scheduled to take effect July 21, but banks, who have spent millions on advertising in Washington, are attempting to delay reform by two years. USA TODAY (5/15) - Merchants move to cap extreme couponing
The reality show "Extreme Couponing" has serious coupon clippers concerned with the way it portrays the misuse of coupon. Now, retail chains are looking for ways to curb coupon abuse, with some limiting the number of coupons shoppers can use in one trip, capping the amount of a single product people can purchase at once or, as with Publix, posting a list of the competitors' coupons the store will accept. The Palm Beach Post (Fla.) (5/14) - El Paso, Texas, merchants report mixed recovery
Some stores and restaurants in El Paso, Texas, are recovering well from the recession while others continue to struggle. Nationally, optimism is up as consumers continue to increase spending on large and small purchases, said NRF's Kathy Grannis. "Of course, the elephant in the room is still jobs. Until there is a bigger recovery, retailers aren't going to be completely comfortable saying their business is back to normal." El Paso Times (Texas) (5/15)  | Health care reform got you down? Learn more from UnitedHealthcare on how the federal changes to medical benefits will affect you and your employees. This comprehensive guide highlights incentives for enrollment and a timeline of important dates and deadlines. Don't let them pass you by—Learn more here! |
 - How to develop next-generation business intelligence
Retailers live in a world that increasingly bombards them with data and often leaves them struggling how that data can be used. The next generation of real-time business intelligence technology aims to help merchants put the data into perspective and help retailers be first to recognize and react to new trends. "If a merchant sees a trend and is able to react to it before someone else does, they gain the upper hand," said Oracle's David Dorf. STORES magazine (5/2011) - Texting promotions pay off for retailers
More than one-third of consumers who opt to receive text-message promotions from retailers wind up redeeming them, according to new data. About 35% of consumers who receive such messages subsequently visit the stores that sent them, the research found, and redemption rates can vary from 11% to 65% depending on the offer. InternetRetailer.com (5/12)  | Evaluate your Energy company's top ten, potential risks and loss management strategies with the Zurich Virtual Consultant tool. Sign up to get FREE access today! |
 | Hot Topics | | | | Top five news stories selected by NRF SmartBrief readers in the past week. - Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.
| | | Most Popular Headlines from Last Week Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers. |
| NRF News | | | | - Speakers wanted for Retail's BIG Show! Proposals due May 18
The NRF's Annual Convention & EXPO draws more than 22,000 attendees each year and offers more than 130 educational programs. We're looking for the best and brightest industry experts, practitioners and those interested in advancing the retail industry to submit session proposals for the 101st NRF Convention, to be held Jan. 15 to 18 in New York City. The last day for submissions is May 18. Learn more. - Growth in retail container traffic levels off but consumer demand remains strong
U.S import cargo volume is expected to level off this month and remain steady throughout the summer, according to NRF's monthly Port Tracker forecast. "Retailers are being cautious with how much merchandise they import due to economic pressures such as higher commodity prices, but overall consumer demand remains strong," NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. Read more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Asian concepts are giving U.S. chains growth opportunities
Many in U.S. markets are seeing growth potential with new Asian concepts as more Americans seek to expand their experiences beyond the familiar mom-and-pop Chinese to include flavors from Japan, Vietnam and India. Panda Express is in growth mode, Chipotle plans to launch its first ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen this year, and Yum! Brands planned investment in China's Little Sheep could increase the chain's U.S. presence. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (5/16) - Burger King to broaden menu, shift marketing efforts
Burger King reported early success for the revamped Chicken Tenders it debuted in March, but the move came too late to boost first-quarter sales numbers. The chain will make further moves to boost traffic and sales this year with new menu items and marketing campaigns aimed at appealing to a more diverse mix of consumers, starting with a new campaign spotlighting its signature Whopper. QSRWeb.com (5/13), BurgerBusiness.com (5/13)  | |  | | | | |  |  Senior Vice President, Communities & Networks and Executive Director | Shop.org | Washington, DC | | Stationery Buyer | Five Below, Inc. | Philadelphia, PA | | Web Project Manager | The Wet Seal, INC | Foothill Ranch, CA | | General Manager, Retail E-Commerce & Catalog | Smithsonian Enterprises | Washington, DC | | Director of Real Estate | Teavana | Atlanta, GA | | Purchasing Buyer, National Accounts | Bed Bath & Beyond | Union, NJ | | Retail Planogram Specialist | Headquarters Marine Corps, MCCS | Quantico, VA | | Entry Level Culinary Full Time | Wegmans Food Markets | Bridgewater , NJ | | Entry Level Culinary Part Time | Wegmans Food Markets | Ocean , NJ | | Cook III Full-Time Customer Service | Wegmans Food Markets | Bridgewater, NJ | | Retail Marketing Manager | L.L.BEAN | Freeport, ME | | Tax Senior | PetSmart, Inc. | Phoenix, AZ | | Telecom Business Mgr-OCONUS | AAFES | Okinawa, Japan | | Store Software Applications Architect | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Director of Talent Acquisition | rue21 | Warrendale, PA | | DVP Real Estate | Spirit Halloween | Egg Harbor Township, NJ | | Planner | Spencer Gifts | Egg Harbor Township, NJ | | Senior Financial Analyst | Art Van Furniture | Warren, MI | | | |  | |  |
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Just one third of retailers surveyed use a specific set of metrics by which to measure their social media initiatives. Source: 
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