  | October 7, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- Winn-Dixie invests $100M to upgrade stores and change image
Winn-Dixie Stores is upgrading locations to change what one manager called "a tarnished image," adding features including a cafe with free Wi-Fi, a sushi bar and a section selling imported wine and craft beer. The Florida chain, newly emerged from bankruptcy protection, is spending more than $100 million to renovate stores so they appeal to upscale shoppers. The Tampa Tribune (Fla.) (10/6)      - Bloomingdale's campaign takes NYC to Dubai
Bloomingdale's has revived a decades-old strategy with its "New York, New York" campaign at its store in Dubai, the chain's only international location. The campaign, which runs through Nov. 12, features fashions from New York designers, themed displays, contests and events aimed at creating a Big Apple flavor in the Middle East. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (10/6) - Home Depot executive advises on gift cards
 Home Depot boasts one of the biggest gift-card programs in the retail industry. The reasons for the chain's gift-card success include offering shoppers options for personalizing cards and making them available in a myriad of channels, says program director Spencer Allen. Forbes (10/6)  | You may be considering a cloud computing solution or in the midst of specifying one or even implementing a solution. Read this paper to see what IBM discovered about how companies like yours are adopting, implementing and using cloud computing solutions. Learn about the current rate of adoption, drivers, barriers, and considerations that are influencing the adoption of cloud computing. |
 - Reports offer mixed employment picture
Jobless claims rose by 6,000 last week after declining the week before, but a rolling four-week average that some consider more reliable showed a drop of 4,000 claims, suggesting the U.S. labor market may be stabilizing. Earlier this week, the National Retail Federation forecast that merchants will add nearly 500,000 seasonal workers during the holidays. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (10/7) - Turbulent markets to keep X-fluents from spending
Market declines typically slow luxury spending, but Saks and Nordstrom reported higher-than-expected sales in September. The trend reflects a desire by wealthy 24-to-49-year-olds to keep living the high life, says Unity Marketing, especially the extremely affluent or X-fluent group, which accounts for 23% of all luxury sales. Bloomberg (10/7) - Retail buyers find plenty to like at Paris shows
Fashion buyers for Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks and other upscale chains found much to praise during the Paris spring shows, as designers melded color and sophistication in ways likely to appeal to mainstream shoppers. "There seemed to be couture influences in all of our favorite Paris collections, and this mixture of art and commerce really got us excited," said Jeffrey Kalinsky, executive vice president of design for Nordstrom. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (10/6)  | Let Social Media Find Your Staff For You
Give your hiring managers fast, easy access to quality employees by pairing social media with automated recruitment solutions that use Web 2.0 functionality. Download the white paper Automating Social Recruiting for Better Hiring and see how 85 percent of best-in-class companies save money with automation. |
  | Policy & Government Affairs |  |  | | |  | - U.S. advisers back business on health insurance
The U.S. Institute of Medicine has released a report advising the Obama administration that health insurance plans for uninsured Americans shouldn't cost more or offer more benefits than midtier plans offered by small businesses. The advice "is the appropriate tack to take since the objective is to cover everyone with at least basic benefits," said NRF's Neil Trautwein. Bloomberg Businessweek (10/7), Google/The Associated Press (10/7)  | Privacy & Online Behavioral Advertising: What's Next?
Join a thought-provoking discussion with the FTC, Forbes.com, DAA, and TRUSTe focusing on how pieces of the privacy puzzle — self-regulation, browser features, Do Not Track, legislation and enforcement — fit together and their implications. A must-attend event for advertisers and compliance leads. Learn more |
| NRF News | |  | | - High unemployment remains primary concern as holiday season approaches
Following today's announcement that U.S. employers added 103,000 jobs in September and the unemployment rate remains at 9.1%, concerns are high among the retail industry. "While the September jobs numbers were better than expected, there is no doubt the economy is still facing significant headwinds. With the start of the holiday season just three weeks away, the persistently high unemployment rate is expected to hinder consumer demand and impact confidence," said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. NRF estimates retailers will hire between 480,000-500,000 workers this holiday season. Read more. - Growing tomorrow's retail leaders: NRF Foundation launches association for retail students
Today marks the launch of the National Retail Federation Student Association, which offers member students the opportunity to leverage NRF's vast retail network of educational and networking opportunities. Fifteen universities have pledged participation so far, including The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, The University of Florida, and The University of Wisconsin-Madison. The vision of the NRFSA is to foster and recruit talented students into the retail industry, enhance their educational experience at participating colleges or universities, and help them build an early network of peers who will become leaders within the industry. Learn more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - How innovation drives Tasti D-Lite's growth
Tasti D-Lite signed development agreements to add 104 units in several new markets in the first half of 2011, the result of an innovation and growth strategy. The chain debuted its first drive-thru store, expanded to college campuses and created a new hybrid concept with a self-serve component. QSRMagazine.com (10/6) | |  | | Position Title | Company Name | Location | | VP of Marketing | Teavana | Atlanta - Buckhead, GA | | 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 | | Director of Real Estate | Teavana | Atlanta, GA | | Cosmetics Business Manager | Saks Fifth Avenue | Bal Harbour, FL | | Designer, Stores | Chico's FAS, Inc. | Fort Myers, FL | | Corporate Visuals Manager | MacKenzie-Childs LLC | New York , NY | | Manager of Store Design | Chico's FAS, Inc. | Fort Myers, FL | | Sales Associate | Saks Fifth Avenue | Huntington Station, NY | | Asset Protection Associate | Saks Fifth Avenue | Stamford, CT | | Brand Ambassador- Women's Designer Sportswear | Saks Fifth Avenue | San Antonio, TX | | Construction Project Manager | Chico's FAS, Inc. | Fort Myers, FL | | Purchasing Agent | Chico's FAS, Inc. | Fort Myers, FL | | Sales Associates - Beauty Specialists - Career Fair - Beachwood, OH | Saks Fifth Avenue | Beachwood, OH | | Senior Wine Buyer | Total Wine & More | Potomac, MD | | Contract Recruiter - Merchandising | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Store Manager-Luxury Retail-San Diego | Tourneau LLC | San Jose, CA | | 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 Career Days at Saks Fifth Avenue- Dallas, TX! | Saks Fifth Avenue | Dallas, TX | | Account Manager | SPANX, Inc | Atlanta, GA | | Vice President of Distribution and Logistics | Sleep Experts | Dallas, TX | | | Click here to view more job listings. | | |
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In 2010, 4 in 10 Americans planned to shop online during the holidays. Source: 
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