| October 24, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- Wal-Mart extends price-matching guarantee
Wal-Mart will expand its price-matching guarantee for the holidays with the promise to meet the lowest price shoppers find throughout the season, even on items they've already bought. The policy will apply to items purchased in stores and online between Nov. 1 and Dec. 25; customers showing an original receipt and a competitor's print ad with a lower price will receive a gift card for the difference. The Washington Post/The Associated Press (10/24)       - RadioShack goes back to its DIY roots
RadioShack saw success with its push into mobile phones, but in the process it lost many of the core customers, who counted on the chain for electronics components for their DIY projects, said CMO Lee Applbaum. The company reached out via blogs and social media to reestablish those relationships, with a program that harked back to its roots. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (10/23)  | Doing More with Less in Challenging Economic Times
Retail stores are facing pressure from all sides, but there are some practical – and cost effective – ways to improve loyalty and drive advocacy at the store level. Register for this free webinar and discover what you can do today to transform your business for less. | - Mobile users check out products in store, then buy online
Consumers are taking advantage of brick-and-mortar stores to check out products but then using mobile devices to buy online from another provider, according to consumer-electronics website Retrevo. Among mobile users surveyed, 66% said they had done this, with electronics being the largest category of product sampled in store but bought online. The study also found that few users who download a retailer's application ever access it to make a purchase. MediaPost Communications/Online Media Daily (10/20) - Trade show highlights retailers growing China connections: Retailers and manufacturers are focusing on China as they seek to grow exports and sales amid slowdowns in the U.S. and Europe. "China is one of the places that U.S. retailers are looking to for growth," said NRF vice president David G. French, who met with officials from Chinese retailing associations at the 110th Canton Fair in Guangzhou last week. China Daily (Beijing) (10/24)
- Designers find new demand for high-end ready-to-wear
Designers including Balenciaga, Chanel and Jason Wu are seeing increased demand for four- and five-figure ready-to-wear pieces through upscale department stores. Technology that lets consumers watch real-time runway shows may be leading the shift -- Bergdorf Goodman sees a rise in calls requesting certain pieces immediately after popular shows such as Alexander McQueen, said fashion director Linda Fargo. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (10/22)  | Cloud Computing for Midsize Business
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 - Taking Google Wallet out for a test drive
Advertising Age's Kunur Patel went on a mission -- sans cash and credit cards -- to spend $100 using her Nexus S phone and Google Wallet. Despite a few glitches and situations that highlighted a need for further employee training, she managed to achieve her mission in about three hours. "Wallet's killer app, without a doubt, was the sheer joy it elicited in witnesses." Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (10/24)  | GREAT HAPPENS IN threes AT HYATT.
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  - Holiday rush presents additional challenges for newer small businesses
The holiday season can provide an influx of customers, but small businesses have to be prepared to take advantage of the surge. Complicating the situation is that such companies may not have many employees to deal with increased demand and that owners may not be experienced with planning for the season. "It takes at least a year, and for most two to three years, to fully understand a business' seasonality," said Raman Chadha of DePaul University's Coleman Entrepreneurship Center. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (10/23)  | Consumer Insights Your Brand Needs to Know: Latest Trends in Behavioral Advertising
Learn what brand managers, advertisers, as well as networks, agencies, and publishers need to know about consumer survey insights into behavioral ad serving, also known as interest-based advertising. Learn more today! |
 | 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.
| Policy & Government Affairs | | | | - Column: Swipe fee reform brought transparency
Free markets require competition and transparency, neither of which was present in the world of debit cards before swipe-fee reform took effect on Oct. 1, writes NRF's Mallory Duncan. "The principle at stake is critical because the fight over debit card swipe fees is likely just the opening salvo in a long-running debate about how open and transparent banks should be about fees." The Knoxville News-Sentinel (Tenn.) (free registration) (10/23) | | | Most Popular Headlines from Last Week Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers. |
| NRF News | | | | - Survey: Online retailers prepping for promotion-heavy holiday season
Free shipping offers, among other holiday promotions from online retailers, will abound this holiday season, according to Shop.org's eHoliday survey. Additionally, nearly seven in 10 retailers say they expect their company's online sales to grow at least 15% or more compared to last holiday season. The survey is supported by new data from NRF, which found the average shopper plans to do about 36% of their holiday shopping online, up from 32.7% last year. Read more. - How to do more with less in a challenging economy
Retail stores are facing pressure from all sides, but there are some practical -- and cost-effective -- ways to improve loyalty and drive advocacy at the store level. In an Oct. 25 STORES Knowledge Series webinar, Gary Edwards, chief customer officer for Empathica, will leverage his experience working with brands as diverse as Victoria's Secret, Canadian Tire, Dollar Tree and Citibank to share what retailers can do today to transform their business for less. Learn more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | | |  | | Position Title | Company Name | Location | | Merchandise Planner | Smithsonian Museum Retail | Washington, DC | | VP of Marketing | Teavana | Atlanta - Buckhead, GA | | HR Director, Retail Stores | SalonCentric | Based in NJ & NYC, NJ | | Shopper Marketing and Retail Promotions Director | Two West Inc. | Nationwide, United States | | Vice President, Business Development | Confidential | Akron, OH | | Director, Store Planning and Design | Ross Stores, Inc. | Pleasanton, CA | | Asset Protection Associate | Saks Fifth Avenue | San Francisco, CA | | Seasonal Selling Professional | Saks Fifth Avenue | Troy, MI | | Beauty Specialist | Saks Fifth Avenue | Atlanta, GA | | Cosmetics Business Manager | Saks Fifth Avenue | Atlanta, GA | | Killian Fragrance Specialist | Saks Fifth Avenue | New Orleans, LA | | Chantecaille Beauty Specialist | Saks Fifth Avenue | New Orleans, LA | | Escada Brand Ambassador | Saks Fifth Avenue | San Antonio, TX | | Sr. Systems Training and Communications Specialist | Bj's Wholesale Club, Inc. | Westborough, MA | | Sales Associate - Jewelry | Saks Fifth Avenue | Naples, FL | | Commission Sales Associates, Alterations/Fitter/Sewer, Department Managers, LP/Asset Protection | Saks Fifth Avenue | Chevy Chase, MD | | HR Manager (Corporate Headquarters) | Petsmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Merchandise Buyer - Fashion Apparel | Kohl's Department Stores | Menomonee Falls, WI | | Sales Associate Career Day- Las Vegas, NV | Saks Fifth Avenue | San Francisco, CA | | Marketing Director | Saks Fifth Avenue | Hackensack, NJ | | Visual Merchandising Manager | Headquarters, MCCS | Quantico, VA | | Buyer | Five Below, Inc. | Philadelphia, PA | | Sales Associate Career Day - Dadeland, FL | Saks Fifth Avenue | Dadeland, FL | | Assistant General Manager - Merchandise | Saks Fifth Avenue | Boca Raton, FL | | Assistant General Manager | Saks Fifth Avenue | Tulsa, OK | | | Click here to view more job listings. | | |
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--Albert Camus,
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Over half of shoppers say they would like to receive a gift card this holiday season. Source: 
Baja Fresh is revamping its mystery-shopping program with a new partner as part of a push to gain deeper insight into the factors that promote customer loyalty and reveal how the 253-unit chain can improve, says President Chuck Rink. 
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