How mobile will drive retail's future

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September 30, 2011 News for the retail industry   Industry Watch  Peltz wins board seat, drops takeover bid for Family Dollar Investor Nelson Peltz dropped his bid to acquire the Family Dollar chain after the company agreed to name an executive from his firm, Trian Partners, to a seat on its board, according to an SEC filing. In return for the board seat, Peltz also agreed to keep his stake in the company below 10%. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/DealBook blog (9/29)      Versace line for H&M pays tribute to the late designer Versace's affordable design line set to debut at H&M next month includes looks that hark back to the 1980s heyday of the late Gianni Versace's career. The line will also include menswear and designer home goods, and some industry watchers say H&M should expect the same outpouring of demand that overwhelmed Target during its recent Missoni launch. American Public Media/Marketplace (9/29), The Daily Mail (London) (9/30)      Police arrest seize $685,000 in knockoffs Palm Beach County Sheriff's officers arrested a 67-year-old woman accused of selling counterfeit designer bags, scarves, jewelry and other items. Officers seized more than $685,000 worth of alleged knockoffs from Hetty F. Palin's storage unit and her Florida home, which was set up to operate as a retail store, reports say. Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)/The Palm Beach Post (9/29)      Other News Meijer stores to start selling Sears' DieHard batteries Chicago Tribune (9/30)      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: • Membership Rewards® points that pay for flights, hotels, and more • 24/7, 1-on-1 Concierge for help with your life and your Business • Complimentary Airport Club Access Business Platinum Card APPLY NOW   Retail trends    Fashion bloggers attract advertisers, agents Top fashion bloggers produce content that vies with Vogue and other glossies for readers and ad dollars, and the most influential among them have become famous enough to attract talent agents to help them navigate the sometimes-tricky relationship between editorial and commerce. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (9/28), Mashable (9/29)      Economists: Consumer spending won't rescue U.S. economy Consumer spending fell 2.8% in 2009 and 2% last year, according to Labor Department figures, and the trend isn't likely to reverse itself soon, economists say. Consumer demand, which comprises about 70% of the U.S. economy, is in a holding pattern as households work to get out of debt and rebuild their savings. CNBC (9/29)      Business Analytics: Optimizing Your Operations Organizations are gathering and storing enormous amounts of information. Read this e-book to see how mid-sized organizations can better use information to drive business decisions to lower costs and improve profit. Discover how you can overcome the barriers midsized business face and improve your competitive position.   Retail Technology    How mobile will drive retail's future Mobile technology is changing the way consumers around the world shop, and global retailers need to change with the times, said executives at an industry conference in Berlin this week. Brick-and-mortar retail isn't going away, but merchants need to find ways to both use mobile to their advantage and differentiate themselves with exclusive lines shoppers can't find in other stores or online. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (9/29)      Neiman Marcus launches first Foursquare contest Neiman Marcus has issued its first challenge to Foursquare users, as part of the upscale department store's Shoe & Handbag Event on Saturday. Each store will hide 15 Nancy Gonzalez clutch bags through the store and challenge shoppers to find them by unlocking clues using Foursquare. Retailing Today (free registration) (9/29)      Who are this year’s leaders in POS? The results of IHL’s extensive market research on POS are now in! This exclusive, 50-page report provides everything you need to know about conditions in the softgoods market, store system trends, plus complete details on the top five suppliers in each Tier. Now, gain these key competitive insights at no cost!   Policy & Government Affairs    Industries band together to push for easier visa rules Trade groups including NRF have formed a coalition that's likely to spend millions to convince leaders to relax the strict visa regulations that keep wealthy tourists from India, Brazil, China and other companies from spending their money in the U.S. Deep partisan divisions in Congress make it much tougher to get legislation passed, said NRF's David French. National Journal (9/30)      Bank of America to charge $5 monthly debit-card fee Bank of America said this week it will begin charging a $5 monthly fee to most of its debit-card holders early next year, in response to new federal caps on the fees banks can charge merchants on debit-card transactions. "Every time Congress takes a step to protect consumers, the banks use it as an excuse to raise fees. Just as merchants and consumers are about to get some relief, they're doing it again," said NRF general counsel Mallory Duncan. United Press International (9/29)      NRF responds to Bank of America debit card announcement.       How will IM, video, telephony and other elements of UC change in the coming year? This set of products provides a consistent unified user interface and experience and is poised to become more widespread in the enterprise. Get insight from Focus Experts as they share their predictions for Unified Communications in this free guide.   Sponsored Content    Small Business Week In Review Anonymous Small Business Snapshot: Controversy Over Health Care Legislation Katie Morell Infographic: The Disconnect Between Employee Satisfaction And Loyalty Courtney Colwell The Adventurous Life Of A Small Business Owner Barry Moltz The Disconnect Between Employee Satisfaction And Loyalty Courtney Colwell   NRF News  Merchants, consumers to save billions as swipe fee regulations take effect this weekend Regulations cutting debit card swipe fees in half will take effect this weekend, saving merchants and their customers billions of dollars. "Retailers across the nation are developing a wide range of innovative ways to pass these savings along to their customers with lower prices and better value," NRF General Counsel Mallory Duncan said. "Change won't come overnight, but consumers will definitely benefit. Reducing these fees will put billions of dollars back into the Main Street economy, helping American families stretch their paychecks and ultimately preserving and creating local jobs to keep America on the road to recovery." Read more.      NRF SmartStat: Sept. 30, 2011 The total U.S. GDP impact of retail is $2.5 trillion annually. Source: NRF.        A White House insider shares insights on health reform Retail HR executives with questions about health reform shouldn't miss this opportunity to hear the latest developments on health care policy straight from the Obama administration. Elizabeth Fowler, special assistant to the President for Healthcare and Economic Policy at the National Economic Council, will discuss the latest developments in health care reform and share insights into the debate at the upcoming NRF Human Resources Executives Summit, Oct. 11-13 in Dallas. Registration is complimentary for NRF retail members and $595 for non-members. Learn more.      Learn more about NRF -> Join NRF  |  Govt Relations  |  NRF Events  |  STORES  |  NRF Foundation   Chain Restaurant News  Sizzler maps out Chicago comeback Sizzler steakhouse aims to open 18 Chicago-area eateries during the next five years, marking a return to the market as part of a national turnaround effort by the struggling casual chain. Sizzler operates 179 restaurants down from about 700 at its peak. Crain's Chicago Business (9/29)      Position Title Company Name Location Director of Planning and Allocation LittleMissMatched New York, NY Merchandise Manager Party City Rockaway, NJ Payroll Manager Party City Rockaway, NJ Shopper Marketing and Retail Promotions Director Two West Inc. Nationwide, United States Vice President, Business Development Confidential Akron, OH Associate Merchant - Direct Import OFFICE DEPOT Boca Raton, FL Asset Protection Associate Saks Fifth Avenue Stamford, CT Store Manager-Luxury Retail-San Diego Tourneau LLC San Jose, CA Contract Recruiter - Merchandising Burlington Coat Factory Burlington, NJ Permanent and Seasonal, FT and PT Sales Associates - Saks Fifth Avenue Career Day - Indianapolis, IN Saks Fifth Avenue Indianapolis, IN Assistant Store Manager-Luxury Retail-San Jose Tourneau LLC San Jose, CA Commercial Sales Analyst TAG Heuer Springfield, NJ Sales Associate - Assistant Store Manager - Personal Shopper - Stylists - Visual Merchandisers Saks Fifth Avenue Boston, MA FIFTH AVENUE CLUB DIRECTOR SAKS FIFTH AVENUE BAL HARBOUR, FL ASSET PROTECTION ASSOCIATE SAKS FIFTH AVENUE BAL HARBOUR, FL Sales Associates - Beauty Specialists - Career Fair - Beachwood, OH Saks Fifth Avenue Beachwood, OH Vice President of Distribution and Logistics Sleep Experts Dallas, TX Location Director - Home Delivery Organic and Natural Food Suburban Organics Ottsville, PA Fashion Buyer Target Minneapolis, MN Senior Wine Buyer Total Wine & More Potomac, MD SALES ASSOCIATES SAKS FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK, NY SALES ASSOCIATES SAKS FIFTH AVENUE GREENWICH, CT Sales Associate Career Day at South Coast Plaza Saks Fifth Avenue Costa Mesa, CA Regional Director Francesca's Collections Philadelphia, PA SALES ASSOCIATE SAKS FIFTH AVENUE Hackensack, NJ Click here to view more job listings.   SmartQuote  If you tell the truth, you have infinite power supporting you; but if not, you have infinite power against you." --Charles Gordon, British army officer        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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