 | June 6, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- Wal-Mart debuts first rural Express store
Wal-Mart opened the first of 20 planned Walmart Express stores last week, in rural Gentry, Ark., about half a mile from a rival Dollar General store. The 15,000-square-foot Express format plans to carry a modified lineup of grocery and general merchandise items, and is part of the chain's push to compete head-on with the dollar stores that thrived during the downturn. The Seattle Times/The Associated Press (6/3)       - Borders' merchandising chief resigns
Borders Group Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer Michele Cloutier has resigned, one of about 50 employees to leave since the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February. In April, a bankruptcy judge approved a $6.6 million retention plan aimed at keeping executives in place during the chain's reorganization. The Detroit News (6/4)  | How do you stay ahead of the curve and remain in the black while consumers continue to be frugal in these difficult times? Find out how product lifecycle management solutions are helping manufacturers maximize production efficiencies, reduce time to market, and solve design and production problems before they reach the prototype stage. |
 - Out-of-state theft rings take a toll on N.J. retailers
The South Jersey-Philadelphia area has several major shopping centers off Interstate 295, locations that make them ideal targets of organized retail theft rings from out of state, including one that recently sent three New York women to steal more than $4,000 from upscale clothing stores. The area is among the top 10 in the nation for organized retail theft activity, according to NRF data. Courier-Post (Camden-Cherry Hill, N.J.) (6/5) - Mid-tier merchants gear up for slower second-half spending
Ongoing high prices for gas and food and continuing high unemployment are likely to crunch specialty retailers in the second half of the year, as they struggle to find a way to pass on some of their higher costs to consumers who are pulling back on spending. "We think May is the first indication of rough times ahead," said David Bassuk, head of the global retail practice at AlixPartners. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (6/2) - Tests reveal that most reusable bags are safe
Tests done by Washington State and Iowa on 31 reusable bags from Walgreens, Kmart and other retail chains showed most fell within acceptable state limits for heavy metals. Red, orange and yellow paints can contain lead and other heavy metals, and the states teamed to do the testing to ease consumers' concerns about reusable grocery bags. The Seattle Times/The Spokesman-Review (6/4)  | Could your CRM deliver better ROI?
Today's CRM systems can dramatically improve your bottom line through better customer marketing, engagement and retention — but only if your program is properly designed. Learn how one specialty retailer increased campaign results 300% through creative segmentation — as one of five proven strategies for CRM success. Download your copy now! |
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 | Main Street |  | | | - A big-picture approach to cultivating talent
 Ongoing high unemployment rates might look gloomy to most, but the high numbers of job applicants present a rich opportunity for retailers to begin investing in their current and future work forces, says FurstPerson Vice President Brent Holland. "The competition for job openings is fierce, but those companies with a more strategic talent management practice have used the influx of job seekers to bring on better talent (like Macy's, who announced plans last year to hire 3,500 employees over two years) as an investment in the company's future." NRF Blog (6/6)   | 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 | | | | - From swipe fees to health care, it's time to challenge legislators
Join NRF's board of directors and retailers from around the U.S. June 20-22 for the NRF 76th Washington Leadership Conference. Conference attendees will visit lawmakers on Capitol Hill to advocate for new and revised legislation that will benefit the entire industry. The conference, open to retailers only, is free to NRF members. Learn more. - Are shoppers really ready for social commerce?
Shoppers may be tweeting and Facebooking for hours throughout the day, but are they ready to buy through social interfaces? A joint research project by Shop.org, comScore and Social Shopping Labs asked consumers exactly that. The study, conducted in April, outlines how consumers are interacting with businesses in the online social space, what they really want from retailers' Facebook pages, and addresses the awareness and popularity of group-buying sites. Read more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Red Robin CEO sees turnaround efforts start to pay off
Red Robin brought in former El Pollo Loco CEO Steve Carley last fall in answer to growing shareholder demands for someone to take the helm, reverse several years of sliding sales and profits and shore up sagging share prices. Early numbers show Carley's strategy to increase revenue with new customer-loyalty programs and happy hour promotions have been paying off -- both revenue and same-store sales rose in the first quarter. The Denver Post (6/5)  | |  | | | | |  |  Associate Buyer | Dreams Retail | Northbrook, IL | | Retail Sales Director | BoConcept USA, Inc. | Bayonne, NJ | | Divisional Merchandise Manager, Consumables | Headquarters Marine Corps, MCCS | Quantico, VA | | Senior Vice President, Communities & Networks and Executive Director | Shop.org | Washington, DC | | Manager General Merchandise #792BR | Harley-Davidson | Milwaukee, WI | | Retail Training & Development Manager | Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers | Columbus, GA | | Licensed Product Manager | Harley-Davidson | Milwaukee, WI | | Senior Manager Retail Marketing | The Timberland Company | Stratham , NH | | Financial Analyst III | PetSmart, Inc. | Phoenix, AZ | | Merchandise Planning Administrator | Headquarters Marine Corps, MCCS | Quantico, VA | | Vice President, Real Estate | Earls Restaurant Ltd | Vancouver, Canada | | Merchandise Buyer | Five Below, Inc. | Philadelphia, PA | | Learning Solutions Manager - Southwest (Training Manager) | Petsmart | Southern California , CA | | Director of Retail | Wisteria | Dallas, TX | | Fashion Buyer | Target | Minneapolis, MN | | 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 | | Senior Merchandise Planning Administrator | Headquarters Marine Corps, MCCS | Quantico, VA | | Retail Marketing Manager | L.L.BEAN | Freeport, ME | | Purchasing Buyer, National Accounts | Bed Bath & Beyond | Union, NJ | | | |  | |  |
| SmartQuote | | | |  | You don't have to buy from anyone. You don't have to work at any particular job. You don't have to participate in any given relationship. You can choose."
--Harry Browne,
American libertarian writer, politician and investment analyst  |
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The world's five biggest retailers have one thing in common: They all sell groceries. Source: 
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