| September 24, 2012 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- Mass. town adopts "cash mob" concept to boost local business
Residents in Webster, Mass., have eagerly adopted the concept of the "cash mob," using the Internet to organize dates and times to converge on a specific local stores and spend a pre-set amount of money. "Consumers all over the country have taken this (cash mob) trend and turned it into an extremely positive initiative to support those communities and small business owners," said NRF's Kathy Grannis. Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, Mass.) (9/23)       | Are You Prepared for the Internet Sales Tax?
The era of a tax-free internet may soon be coming to and end as the passage of a national internet sales tax is inevitable. Complying with this legislation can be difficult when it comes to tax jurisdictions to determine the appropriate tax. Register for the webinar Preparing for the Internet Sales Tax to learn how to take the guesswork out of tax assignments. | |
| Industry Watch |  |  | | - Wal-Mart to add 50,000 seasonal staff
Wal-Mart will make about 50,000 holiday hires this year, the company said Friday, while also giving current permanent staffers the chance to log more hours as the holidays approach. The announcement followed similar news from The Limited, Kohl's and Target, all of which plan to add thousands of holiday helpers. Last year, retailers hired 607,500 seasonal associates, a 7.9% rise over 2010, according to NRF, illustrating the industry's strong role in job creation. CNBC/Reuters (9/21), Retail's BIG Blog (9/24) - N.J. retailers upbeat as holidays approach: Retailers in New Jersey and around the country are expected to hire at least as many holiday helpers as last year amid forecasts for similar spending patterns. "The retail industry continues to demonstrate its strength and resiliency during this fragile economic time," said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. Courier-Post (Camden-Cherry Hill, N.J.) (9/22)
- Wal-Mart aims to open 1st India store in 2 years
Wal-Mart expects to open its first store in India in the next two years now that the government has approved new rules allowing foreign multi-brand retailers to own 51% of their stores there, said Asia CEO Scott Price. There will be challenges, starting with the fact that the new rules let each state decide if foreign retailers are welcome -- so far, only nine of 29 states have opted in. The Wall Street Journal (9/21)  | Get More with The Business Platinum Card from American Express OPEN. EARN 25,000 MEMBERSHIP REWARDS® POINTS by spending $5,000 in the first 3 months of Card membership†.
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  - Halloween pop-up stores start creeping in
Temporary Halloween stores have begun popping up in markets around the country, including Whatcom County, Wash., where merchants are seeing consumers starting to shop for costumes and candy more than a month before the holiday. Consumers spent $6.8 billion on Halloween last year, up from $5.8 billion the year before, according to NRF data. The Bellingham Herald (Wash.) (9/23)  | Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School
Designed to transform proven leaders into global executives ready for the highest roles, this offering encourages self-assessment and reflection. Immersed in this intensive program, you will enhance your capacity to think strategically and lead effectively in every area of business. Learn More |
 | Retail Technology | | | | - Mobile presents an opportunity for offline retailers
 One significant advantage mobile marketing offers to physical stores for sales is the opportunity to personalize shoppers' experiences, and one can complement the other, experts note. "You can't reconfigure a physical space to personalize it. But you can have the mobile phone be a personalization lens when they walk in to that store ... importing the things that are best about shopping online into the physical world where they weren't available before," Shopkick co-founder Aaron Emigh said at a recent event. GigaOm (9/21) | 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 | |  | | |  | - Mass. mayors push governor to require online sales tax
Eight Massachusetts mayors wrote to Gov. Deval Patrick urging his office to "move aggressively" to require Amazon to collect sales tax before the holiday selling season. The mayors wrote that Amazon's purchase of an in-state robotics company coupled with the opening of a Cambridge research office constitutes the nexus needed for the state to require sales tax collection. Gloucester Daily Times (Mass.) (9/23)  | You know more about your customers than ever before!
But who owns what data and who has access to it gets complicated fast. Online data continues to grow exponentially and the importance of developing a data privacy strategy is critical. Download this FREE white paper and learn how to develop a comprehensive strategy. |
 Most Popular Headlines from Last Week Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.
| NRF News | | | | - Must-have IT protocols for a trouble-free eHoliday season
Even after creating a personalized and engaging online brand experience, retailer’s e-commerce efforts can all be for naught without a sound IT plan in place. In a STORES webinar on Oct. 11, Verisign’s Director of Product Management Rohit Kinra and Forrester Research Vice President and Research Director Stephanie Balaouras will discuss best practices in information technology for retailers to prevent infrastructure-based problems and help ensure online revenue this holiday season. Learn more or register. - Kids on retail: Thoughts from the next generation of shoppers
 Have you ever asked a child how they use an iPad to shop or browse, or what they think about online versus in-store shopping? The Shop.org team assembled a video montage of a very young cast of characters asking questions like these for a glimpse at what it’s like growing up in the digital age. Their unscripted answers were not only adorable – they also provide a glimpse into how shopping will be done in the years to come. Watch the video.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Domino's to debut pan pizza this week
Domino's Pizza will jump into the $6.4 billion pan pizza category on Monday, with the rollout of its thicker-crust offering at the chain's nearly 5,000 U.S. stores. Pizza Hut leads in the pan pizza category, which accounts for about 20% of total U.S. pizza sales, according to Technomic. USA TODAY (9/23)  | Get the early bird discount on Retail's BIG Show
The NRF Annual Convention & EXPO is back in New York City next year, January 13-16. Register before Oct. 5, and save $350 off the onsite rate. Attracting 25,000+ in 2012, this is the one place where the industry's best come together. Register now. | | |  | | Position Title | Company Name | Location | | Senior Vice President of Marketing | Total Wine & More | Potomac, MD | | Data Collector needed immediately | RetailData, LLC | North Dartmouth, MA | | Merchandise Planner | Stein Mart | Jacksonville, FL | | Men's Buyer, Updated Collections | Stein Mart | Jacksonville, FL | | Corporate Safety Manager | OfficeMax | Naperville, IL | | Associate Program Designer/Project Manager | Customer Communications Group | Charlotte, NC | | Executive Assistant | TracyLocke | Wilton, CT | | Associate Buyer, Children's Books | Barnes & Noble Inc. | New York, NY | | Buyer | Barnes & Noble Inc. | New York, NY | | Regional Human Resouces Manager | Spencer Gifts/Spirit Halloween | San Francisco Bay Area, CA | | Director of Business Intelligence | Golfsmith International | Austin, TX | | Process/Distribution Center Manager | Vitaminshoppe | North Bergen, NJ, NJ | | Marketing Manager - Mass Media | REI | Kent, WA | | Creative Director | La-Z-Boy Incorporated | Monroe, MI | | | Click here to view more job listings. | | |
| SmartQuote | | | |  | There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root."
--Henry David Thoreau,
American author and poet  |
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