| December 9, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- Retailers have high hopes for holiday beauty sales
Retail chains are hoping for their best holiday season in several years, and many expect cosmetics and other beauty products to play a starring role. Taking a cue from Sephora and Ulta, mass merchants including CVS and ShopRite have replaced crowded color palettes with more elegant gift displays, and manufacturers are betting on the popularity of gift sets to sell more everyday items including razors and nail polish. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (12/8)       | COMING SOON: The most valuable e-commerce conference of 2012, ChannelAdvisor Catalyst. Everyone who's anyone in e-commerce will be there. Follow @channeladvisor to find out the Where (hint: not NC) and When for Catalyst 2012 |
 - Whole Foods adds Twitter to its recipe
Whole Foods Market is among companies using Twitter to engage consumers and build the brand. The grocery chain's account, launched in 2008, has more than 2.1 million followers. A single employee, Michael Bepko, manages the feed, responding to questions and occasional complaints as well as posting recipes. The Wall Street Journal (12/9) - Wal-Mart experiences holiday revival
Wal-Mart is rebounding from two years of slower sales this holiday season, with lower pricing, price-matching and a revamped layaway program that is bringing back shoppers at the expense of the chain's competitors. The chain and competitors including Target, Toys R Us and Best Buy have ramped up marketing efforts this season to appeal to budget-conscious shoppers. The Sun (Baltimore)/Reuters (12/8) - Banana Republic opens Paris flagship
 Gap-owned brand Banana Republic opened its first store in Paris this week, a 16,000-square-foot, two-story shop on the corner of the Champs Elysées. The chain is the latest in a series of foreign retailers to open flagships in the district, including Abercrombie & Fitch, Tommy Hilfiger and U.K.-based Marks & Spencer, which opened its doors two weeks ago. The Wall Street Journal (12/8) - Apple fans line up for the T-shirts
Always popular, Apple stores draw long lines on their opening days. Many in the line at today's opening of the new store in New York City's Grand Central Station will be there to add to their collection of grand opening T-shirts, which workers hand out to the first 1,000 in line at each new store opening. The Wall Street Journal (12/9)  | Balancing Service, Skills, Execution and Costs
in an All-Channel World
Making the most of every dollar invested in labor is critical to ensuring optimal service levels and loyalty-building store visits. Register for this free webinar to hear the latest research on the challenges facing workforce managers and how leading companies are delivering optimal all-channel store experiences. | - Grocers fight cuts to food stamps
With food stamps paying for about 12% of groceries nationwide, retailers including Kroger, SUPERVALU and Safeway joined farmers and activists for the poor in fighting cuts to the federal program. Pat Burns, president of Pennsylvania grocery chain The Fresh Grocer, said 34% of his business comes from food stamps, and losing those sales would mean trimming his workforce of 1,200. "We would be paying the social costs of that," he said. Bloomberg Businessweek (12/8) - Shoppers put themselves back on the gift list
Consumers who have saved in the years since the recession hit once again have begun shopping for themselves this holiday season. Some 60% of consumers plan to buy non-gift items for themselves this season, up from 57% last year, according to NRF survey data. USA TODAY (12/8) - Do over-decked halls bring out our inner Scrooge?
 Stores that go overboard on holiday decorations, music and festive ambiance risk turning off their customers, says Oxford University business school fellow Nancy Puccinelli. Moderation in decor, subtle holiday music such as Tchaikovsky's "[The] Nutcracker" and slogans that encourage taking action are more likely to keep shoppers in the store and spending, she says. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (12/8)  | 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! |
 - Survey: Tablet shoppers feel "indulgent," "generous"
A majority of tablet owners have been using the gadgets to shop this season, spending an average of $325 on clothing, toys, jewelry and other gadgets, according to a new survey from Zmags. Tablet shoppers report feeling happy and excited about their purchases, in contrast to the stress non-tablet shoppers report. CNBC (12/8)  - Use social media to make the Internet your market-research mecca
Engaging with consumers on social media can allow small businesses to conduct market research to improve their products, Jason Falls and Erik Deckers write. One option is to use a monitoring service such as SocialMention.com to track conversations on social sites about the kinds of products you sell. Alternatively, you can directly ask your social media followers questions about your products, they write. Entrepreneur.com (12/7)  | Enterprise Resource Planning automates many aspects of an organization's operations, cascading across traditional boundaries of operations, finance, manufacturing and more. As such, changes in the ERP market can cause a ripple effect in your business. Get ahead of the changing tide and trends by downloading this free whitepaper. |
| NRF News |  |  | | - Looking for talent? Find the best and brightest at Retail's BIG Show
After last year's wildly popular event, the NRF Foundation will again be hosting a Retail Talent Networking Luncheon and speed networking activity. Retailers and recruiters are invited to join the event held in conjunction with Retail's BIG Show in New York City on Jan. 15. Executives from Brooks Brothers, Chico's, The Container Store, Five Below, Kohl's, Macy's, Saks, Sears, and Toys R Us have already confirmed their spots -- don't miss out! Learn more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Burger King tests upscale concept in Singapore
Burger King is testing a more sophisticated look at its new Garden Grill in Singapore, betting that soft colors and comfy sofas combined with the chain's familiar menu will bring in more families and teens. The U.S. chain has no plans to debut the concept at home but will add a few more stores in Singapore and Japan. The Business Insider (12/7) | |  | | Position Title | Company Name | Location | | Footwear Buyer | Forman Mills | Pennsauken, NJ | | Regional Manager | Aspen Dental | Tampa, FL | | Manager, Brand Marketing & Public Relations | La-Z-Boy | Monroe, MI | | Assistant (Associate) Buyers - Brick & Mortar and Ecommerce | Kohl's Department Stores | Milwaukee, WI | | IS Director of Operations | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Software Applications Architect-Merch/Marketing | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Coordinator, Communications and Public Affairs | National Retail Federation | Washington, DC | | Director of Learning and Development | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | VP DMM Boys | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Director of Store Operations | Francesca's Collections | Houston, TX | | Finance Manager | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Sr. Director, Store Planning and Construction | Spencer Gifts/Spirit Halloween | Egg Harbor Township, NJ | | Assistant General Manager | Saks Fifth Avenue | Tulsa, OK | | Brand Ambassadors- Escada, Cartier and Burberry | Saks Fifth Avenue | Tulsa, TX | | Personal Shopper/Stylist - Saks "Fifth Avenue Club" Consultant | Saks Fifth Avenue | Sarasota, FL | | Alterations Associate | Saks Fifth Avenue | Miami , FL | | Visual Merchandising Manager | Castle Megastore | Tempe, AZ | | Buyer - Women's Accessories and Gifts | Pier 1 Imports | Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX | | Mens Buyer | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | DVP Spirit Halloween Marketing, Licensing & Creative Services | Spirit Halloween | Egg Harbor Township, NJ | | | Click here to view more job listings. | | |
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Just over half of shoppers plan to keep track of retailers' holiday sales through advertising circulars. Source: 
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