Kohl's to open 30 smaller stores this year

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May 13, 2011 News for the retail industry   Industry Watch    Former Wal-Mart executive takes the helm at Save-A-Lot SUPERVALU hired Santiago Roces as president and CEO of Save-A-Lot, replacing Bill Shaner, who had led the chain since 2006. Roces, 48, was most recently senior vice president and general manager of Wal-Mart Stores' small-format division. The Boston Globe/The Associated Press (free registration) (5/12), Progressive Grocer (5/12) Kohl's to open 30 smaller stores this year Kohl's plans to open 40 new U.S. stores in 2011, 30 of them with smaller footprints designed for urban areas. The chain has been building and operating the smaller stores, which typically take up about 60,000 square feet, for about a decade in some markets, but the recent rapid rise in online shopping and a desire to enter more densely populated markets where every inch of floor space counts has spurred further plans for smaller stores. American City Business Journals/Dayton, Ohio (5/12) Q-and-A: OfficeMax marketing executive Bob Thacker Retailers and consumers are still in post-recession shock, feeling creativity-killing fear and doubt when what they need to do is shake it off and return to their innovative roots, says retail marketing veteran and OfficeMax executive Bob Thacker. In this Shop.org interview, Thacker shares his insights into the way new and old media will work together, the growing role of mobile and some of his favorite moments from campaigns past. Shop.org Blog (5/13)   J.C. Penney signals plans to stick it out at South Florida mall J.C. Penney is making the most of its status as the only surviving department store at the Palm Beach Mall in South Florida, with signs and two mall marquees letting consumers know the department store is "Here To Stay." Traffic and sales have risen since the signs went up, said store manager Kim Winter. Investors foreclosed on the 90-acre mall and are now trying to sell it. Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) (5/12) Grocery pioneer and Staples co-founder Leo Kahn dies at 94 Boston native Leo Kahn first made his name in retail with grocery chain Purity Supreme as well as natural-foods supermarkets Fresh Fields and Nature's Heartland, both of which were acquired by Whole Foods. Kahn, who died Wednesday at age 94, eventually left the grocery business and partnered with formal rival Thomas Stemberg to found Staples, now the largest of the big three big-box office-supply chains. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (5/13) Other News Sen. Durbin offers help to keep Sears in Illinois Crain's Chicago Business/The Associated Press (5/12) Are you keeping up with the changing world of employee health care? Get The Basics of Employee Health Care for Small Business: A Guide to Creating a Company Benefit Plan, and find out what you need to know today. There's no obligation. Click to download a FREE whitepaper.   Retail trends    Thieves steal debit-card data from Michaels stores in 20 states Thieves tampered with debit-card readers at Michaels stores in 20 states and used the data they retrieved to create new cards and go shopping in California, the company revealed this week. Criminals perpetrated a similar crime at ALDI supermarkets last year, and incidents are on the rise. Often, thieves install devices that read card data and PIN numbers by distracting cashiers or posing as repairmen, and many actually switch out the stores' machines for ones already set up to send them the data, says NRF's Joe LaRocca. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (5/13) Wealthy Americans jump on the cost-cutting bandwagon Even the wealthiest Americans are cutting back. Surveys show that even those with ample funds are being more selective in their purchases and say price plays a bigger role in buying decisions. In a Harrison Group survey, 38% of shoppers with a median income of $275,000 a year said they wait for items to go on sale, up from 31% last year. In addition, 32% said they are willing to pay more for designer brands because they're more fashionable, down from 51% in 2008. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (5/12) 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 Technology    Retailers work to meld the best of online and in-store New retail technology is aiding retailers in their efforts to take the best parts of online and in-store shopping to redefine the shopping experience, a push that started with the introduction of QR codes that offer in-store smartphone users the chance to immediately access product data and deals. Interactive digital displays and other technology on display at NRF's Big Show earlier this year showed off a growing number of options for digitally enhancing the in-store experience. FastCompany.com/FC Expert Blog (5/12) Will shoppers continue to trust retail kiosks? Consumers have become fans of self-service kiosks in a host of retail environments, from the convenience-store machine that doesn't judge you for super-sizing a sandwich to mall scanners designed to calculate your size and help you find the best look. But as stories of data breaches and online tracking mount, Evan Schuman wonders whether consumers will continue to trust kiosks to protect sensitive information. StorefrontBacktalk (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!   Policy & Government Affairs  Business coalition gears up to fight California trucking bill A coalition of business groups including NRF are working to oppose a bill in California that would reclassify independent truckers moving goods from the state's ports and rail yards as employees of the companies with which they contract. Labor interests support the measure, since federal law allows for the organization of employees but prohibits independent truckers from joining unions. DC Velocity online (5/13) The Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN Spending power for your business. Premium benefits for you. Access a portfolio of 30+ premium benefits, including: • Complimentary Airport Club Access • Annual $200 Airline Fee Credit for any airline • Built-in upgrades at FINE HOTELS & RESORTS Business Platinum Card APPLY NOW   Sponsored Content    On Experience, Reflection And Change In Business John Mariotti 4 Ways To Successfully Persuade And Influence Others Rajesh Setty 11 Stages Of Selling A Company PETER LEHRMAN Why Passion And Generosity Matter In Marketing Shel Israel Small Business Week in Review Jason Del Rey   NRF News  NRF joins travel coalition to help boost economic growth The nation's largest retail association is now the newest member of the Discover America Partnership -- a broad coalition of associations working to reform the antiquated visa process which has cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars in lost sales from international tourists. A reform of this measure would increase tourism, generating demand for U.S. goods and could potentially create 1.3 million U.S. jobs. Read more. We're hiring! SVP Communities & Networks position open now In an effort to round out its all-star executive team, NRF is looking to fill the newly-created position of Senior Vice President, Communities & Networks and Executive Director of Shop.org. In this dual role, the SVP will facilitate an environment of collaboration between all NRF communities, including retail technology, digital retail and loss prevention communities. Learn more. Bernanke remarks show no need to delay swipe fee reform Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's remarks before the Senate Banking Committee solidified his stance on no longer delaying swipe fee reform -- remarks welcomed by the retail industry. "Chairman Bernanke has made it clear not once but twice now that there is no need to delay swipe fee reform and the savings it will bring to American consumers this summer," NRF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Mallory Duncan said. Read more. Learn more about NRF -> Join NRF  |  Govt Relations  |  NRF Events  |  STORES  |  NRF Foundation   Chain Restaurant News  Yum! makes bid official for China's Little Sheep chain Yum! Brands made an official bid to acquire nearly all the shares of China's Little Sheep chain that it doesn't already own, offering 84 cents per share in a deal that values the company at $682 million. If the deal goes through, the parent of KFC and Pizza Hut, which already derives about one-third of its revenue from operations in China, would own 93.2% of the popular Chinese chain. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (5/13) Senior Vice President, Communities & Networks and Executive Director Shop.org Washington, DC Stationery Buyer Five Below, Inc. Philadelphia, PA General Manager, Retail E-Commerce & Catalog Smithsonian Enterprises Washington, DC Web Project Manager The Wet Seal, INC Foothill Ranch, CA Director of Real Estate Teavana Atlanta, GA 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 Tax Senior PetSmart, Inc. Phoenix, AZ Director of Talent Acquisition rue21 Warrendale, PA Retail Marketing Manager L.L.BEAN Freeport, ME Telecom Business Mgr-OCONUS AAFES Okinawa, Japan Store Software Applications Architect PetSmart Phoenix, AZ DVP Real Estate Spirit Halloween Egg Harbor Township, NJ Planner Spencer Gifts Egg Harbor Township, NJ Senior Financial Analyst Art Van Furniture Warren, MI   SmartQuote  A healthful hunger for a great idea is the beauty and blessedness of life." --Jean Ingelow, British poet and novelist   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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