  | June 23, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- Best Buy to downsize stores, lease out space
Best Buy plans to cut the size of its stores from about 45,000 square feet to about 36,000 square feet and sublease space to other merchants including grocers, beauty supply stores and home furnishing retailers. "Across the retail industry there is an effort to reduce the size of your stores as retail and purchases increasingly occur online rather than through brick-and-mortar stores," said retail analyst Brad Thomas. Los Angeles Times (6/23)       - Staples to shrink stores' selling space: Staples plans to shrink its footprint with smaller stores that cost less to open and operate and reflect the trend of more shopping moving online, the company said Wednesday. The chain also said it plans to expand employee break rooms to increase productivity. CNBC/The Associated Press (6/22)
- Bankers: Neiman Marcus won't go public this year
Neiman Marcus has rebounded nicely from the recession, but talk of the company returning to the public markets with an IPO is premature, say bankers involved with the company. The chain, which was taken private in a $5.1 billion buyout in 2005, likely needs at least another year to improve its valuation and give new CEO Karen Katz a chance to prove herself, bankers say. Reuters (6/22)  | THE COMPLETE RETAIL TAGGING SOLUTION
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 - Discount retailers flock to former big box stores
Discount, outlet and value-priced retail concepts including Ross Dress for Less, Big Lots and Nordstrom Rack are opening new St. Louis-area stores in former big-box spaces vacated when previous tenants downsized or closed. Chains are finding deals on spaces that have been vacant for several years, and industry watchers say the value-focused concepts are more likely to withstand the economy's ups and downs. St. Louis Post-Dispatch (6/22) - Retailers seek out better cotton options
Cotton textiles account for 6.95% to 16% of the world's pesticide use, and companies are working to find more earth-friendly fabrics to replace the popular material. Chains including H&M and Levi Strauss are working to transition to a textile called "better cotton," which is made with fewer chemicals and less water. Producers also take into account soil health and labor standards. Los Angeles Times (6/19)  | Extending the value of the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system and taking full advantage of the extended supply chain is crucial to driving innovation and controlling costs. Download a new white paper entitled "Leveraging the Power of PLM in the Collaboration Age," to understand the importance of involving sourcing teams and strategic suppliers earlier in the design process. |
 - Catalog apps aim to capture affluent shoppers
Catalog merchants are moving to replace pricey paper catalogs with iPad applications that bring affluent shoppers the same rich experience without the paper, printing and postage costs. Catalog Spree, a new app from Padopolis, combines digital catalogs from 25 retailers ranging from upscale department store chain Nordstrom to smaller concepts including Artful Home and Serena & Lily. Portfolio.com (6/22) - The arguments for moving to an interactive retail model
Mobile technology that often means shoppers know more about a store's products than the salespeople do and consumers' increased ability to use mobile devices to nail down the best deals are two key reasons retailers need to move toward interactive retail models that combine the best of in-store and online shopping, writes iQmetrix founder and CEO Chris Krywulak. Wireless Week (6/22)  | Preparing Your Site for the Global Stage
As online retailers look to expand their customer bases and enter new markets, they face a unique set of challenges. Site Performance, security, consistency of customer experience and fulfillment are just a few of the issues to address as part of a successful global strategy. Register now to view the webinar. |
 - Treasury hopes to "unleash" billions in small-business loans
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner acknowledged this week that small businesses have yet to benefit from a $30 billion loan fund established by Congress nine months ago. Geithner said regulators are checking the financial health of 869 community banks that have applied to administer the loans, and "we're close to being able to unleash that capital." Portfolio.com/Capital blog (6/22) - Why your company doesn't need stars
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he is willing to pay millions of dollars to acquire exceptional talent, which leads Bill Taylor to wonder: "If you are building a company, would you prefer one standout person over one hundred pretty good people?" Drawing examples from sports and Wall Street, Taylor examines why "stars" can hamper teamwork and success. Harvard Business Review online/HBR Blog Network (6/20)  | 3 Ways to Make Your Site Tablet-Worthy
Create your own tablet-worthy site, and make your marketing work harder. This report shows you how to:
• Take advantage of the tablet as a high-end media experience
• Create experiences that support unique tablet behavior
• Increase engagement by leveraging user-generated content |
| NRF News |  | | | - ModCloth CMO discusses the future of social media
If you're a retailer, there's no doubt you're on Facebook and Twitter. But what about Polyvore, Tumblr, Pinterist, Kaboodle or Go Try It On? Clothing retailer ModCloth is a step ahead of the competition when it comes to social engagement -- and its customer base loves it. In a recent Q&A on the Shop.org blog, ModCloth CMO Kerry Cooper shares insights and projections on social media trends as well as the platforms that work for its target customer. Read more. - Save the date for RAMA’s 2011 CMO Summit
NRF's Retail Advertising & Marketing Association is hosting its annual CMO Summit Sept. 14-15 in Washington, D.C. The conference, designed for chief marketing officers and senior retail marketing executives, will focus on the role of digital marketing and advertising at this year's event. Learn more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Carl's Jr. campaign focuses on product
CKE Restaurants is launching an ad campaign for its Carl's Jr. chain that abandons its typical focus on scantily clad models to focus on a new fried-chicken sandwich. The ad by David & Goliath shows a mouthless robot failing to dig into the new sandwich, accompanied by the tagline: "Machines can't eat it, so machines shouldn't make it." Los Angeles Times/Money & Company blog (6/22)  | |  | | | | |  |  New Account Sales Representative | One Step Retail Solutions | Nationwide, United States | | Store Operations Analyst | BevMo! | San Francisco Bay Area, CA | | VP of Operations | Sleep Experts | Carrollton, TX | | Senior Internet Buyer | Tween Brands | New Albany, OH | | Learning Alignment Consultant (Performance Consultant) | Petsmart, Inc | Phoenix, AZ | | EH&S Manager | Vera Bradley Designs | Fort Wayne, IN | | Advanced Retail Manager (Training) | Army & Air Force Exchange Service | Dallas, TX | | Business Intelligence Sr Retail Industry Analyst | Army & Air Force Exchange Service | Dallas, TX | | Store Manager (Deploy) | Army & Air Force Exchange Service | Dallas, TX | | Vice President, Real Estate | Earls Restaurant Ltd | Vancouver, Canada | | Retail Training & Development Manager | Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers | Columbus, GA | | Senior Manager Retail Marketing | The Timberland Company | Stratham , NH | | Fashion Buyer | Target | Minneapolis, MN | | Licensed Product Manager | Harley-Davidson | Milwaukee, WI | | Manager IS Data Center & Windows | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Store Software Applications Architect | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Manager General Merchandise #792BR | Harley-Davidson | Milwaukee, WI | | Project Manager | Limited Brands | Columbus, OH | | IS Manager Store & DC Support | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | | |  | |  |
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Over 20% of Americans will purchase patriotic merchandise in anticipation of Independence Day this year. Source: 
this is good for siting an example that some researchers needed. thanks! retail tagging
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