| February 6, 2012 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- New Penney's ads aim to keep it simple
 J.C. Penney's new "Fair and Square" ad campaign includes a series of commercials aimed at illustrating the department store's simpler, more transparent pricing strategy. The 30-second spots were created by Peterson Milla Hooks, the agency responsible for many of Target's TV ads. Adweek (2/3)       | Do you know what global consumers are buying? What product categories do they prefer? What do they value most in their shopping experience? And how do they differ from country to country? Pitney Bowes Ecommerce Solutions conducted a global survey polling consumers in ten countries including Canada, UK, Australia, China, Japan and Brazil. Download the white paper here. | | Industry Watch |  |  | | - What's next for Urban Outfitters?
Former Urban Outfitters President Tedford Marlow has returned to the company, this time as CEO, with plans to revisit some of the potential startups the retailer has considered in the past and perhaps launch new brands online. He will also focus on expanding the chain in North America and Europe and introducing it in Asian markets, he said. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (2/5) - Retailers gave beverages a Super Bowl push
In the days leading to the Super Bowl, retailers created elaborate brand displays for soft drinks and beer, such as goal posts made of Pepsi cans. "The Super Bowl is the party event of the year," said Gary Hemphill, managing director of Beverage Marketing. "It's an opportunity to bolster beverage sales as well as snacks. A lot of beverage purchases are impulse, and displays, particularly those next to the register, spur sales." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (2/3) - Payless seals franchise deals in Asia
 Payless ShoeSource has signed franchise deals to open stores in South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, giving the discount footwear retailer access to about 200 million new consumers. The U.S. retailer opened its first franchise store in Kuwait in 2009, and franchisees now operate stores in several countries including Russia, Peru and Israel. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (2/6)  | Deloitte Consumer Products Executive Webcast:
Cloud computing trends in the consumer products industry
11:00am – 12:00pm EST on February 14
Join this webcast for a discussion on how consumer products companies are adopting cloud computing and the technology and business benefits such as: scalability, lower fixed costs, data sharing and collaboration and many others. Register. |
 - Counterfeiters trade Gucci for Gap
Sellers dealing in knockoffs have shifted from luxury counterfeits and found a growing market for fakes bearing labels including Gap and Victoria's Secret, as cash-strapped consumers look to save money even when it comes to lower-priced goods. "You are seeing stuff now you can find at Target, not just stuff you can find at Macy's and Neiman Marcus," said Lt. Mathew St. Pierre of the LAPD's commercial crimes division. Chicago Tribune (2/3) - Independent booksellers see better days
Forty-one independent bookstores opened last year, according to the American Booksellers Association. Sales are increasing amid growing interest in shopping locally and seeking out unusual books. About 15.5% more people shopped at brick-and-mortar independents during the 2011 holiday season than the year before, the group said. The Blade (Toledo, Ohio) (2/5)  | Top 5 HR Compliance Concerns for Small Business
Small and medium sized companies spend a lot of time focusing on core business issues, but they may overlook one of the most potentially serious and costly issues — regulatory compliance. How do you know what issues to look for in order to protect the company? Download this must-read paper that discusses the top 5 HR compliance issues. |
  | Successful business organizations have been capturing data about people and turning it into actionable information to make better hiring and development decisions. While business-led talent practices provide considerable benefits for the business and the HR department, this whitepaper explores the value of these activities for business leaders driving talent management functions. |
 | 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.
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| NRF News | | | | - Kia, Bud Light, Doritos score big with Super Bowl ads
Even before the kickoff or coin toss, NRF's Retail Advertising and Marketing Association found that a full fourth of Americans planned to tune to the NFL's yearly championship game strictly for the commercials. To dish out his own thoughts on the winners and losers of last night's mega-expensive, ultra-territorial Super Bowl commercial showdown, RAMA Executive Director Mike Gatti shared his views on the best of the best of Super Bowl XLVI television advertising. View his top picks and share your own. Read more. - Will you be the $25,000 winner of our "This is Retail" video contest?
Retail employees and business owners, this contest is for you! NRF's recently announced This Is Retail video contest is a nationwide search to find the most interesting retail stories in America. To participate in the contest, contestants will create a two-minute video sharing their retail story -- highlighting how their company positively impacts shoppers or the community, their role in the creation of a new innovative product or technology, or how an initiative will generate new jobs to boost the economy -- and compete to win up to $25,000. Learn more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Loyal customers drive Checkers' comeback
Checkers was a Tampa-based success story in the 1980s and '90s before over-expansion and slowing sales led to several years of struggles and a 2006 sale to Wellspring Capital Management. In 2007, the chain began evaluating each piece of the operations under new CEO Enrique "Rick" Silva, and now loyal fans of the quickservice brand are breathing new life into the chain and its indulgent menu offerings. The Tampa Tribune (Fla.) (2/5) - Panera to make Manhattan debut this week
Panera Bread will open its 1,500th store and its first in New York City on Tuesday, a move that's the culmination of years of refining its brand and navigating the city's tricky real estate market, the company says. "It took a while for us to get a sense of really how to go into an area like Manhattan. It can be daunting when you're standing from the outside looking in," said COO Scott Davis. QSRMagazine.com (2/3) | |  | | Position Title | Company Name | Location | | Retail Systems Implementation Consultant | The Parker Avery Group | Atlanta, GA | | Retail Management | Total Wine & More | Seattle, WA | | Footwear Buyer | Big 5 Sporting Goods | El Segundo, CA | | Merchandising Director | Stein Mart | New York, NY | | Corporate Retail Visual Presentation Manager | Soft Surroundings | St. Louis, MO | | VP, Division Planning Manager | The Bon Ton Stores, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | | Maintenance Associate | Rooms To Go | Charlotte, NC | | Analyst - CRM Forecasting and Reporting | American Eagle Outfitters | Pittsburgh, PA | | Senior Product Manager | dunnhumby | Cincinnati, OH | | Database Marketing Manager | West Marine | Watsonville, CA | | AVP - Product Development | West Marine | Watsonville, CA | | Vice President of eCommerce | The Vitamin Shoppe | North Bergen , NJ | | DVP Spirit Halloween Marketing, Licensing & Creative Services | Spirit Halloween | Egg Harbor Township, NJ | | Sr. Director, Store Planning and Construction | Spencer Gifts/Spirit Halloween | Egg Harbor Township, NJ | | Inventory Manager - Accessories | Hanna Andersson, LLC | Portland, OR | | Retail Allocation Planner | Hanna Andersson, LLC | Portland, OR | | Buyer - Men's Personal Furnishings | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Director of Procurement Services | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | VP eCommerce | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Contract Recruiter - Merchandising | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Planogram Specialist | Headquarters Marine Corps, Semper Fit and Exchange Services | Quantico, VA | | Merchandise Replenishmnet Analyst | Headquarters Marine Corps, Semper Fit & Exchange Services | Quantico, VA | | Buyer | Jeans Warehouse | Los Angeles, CA | | Merchandise Planner | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Divisional Planner | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | | Click here to view more job listings. | | |
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This Valentine's Day, one-third of Americans will head to department stores to shop for their loved ones. Source: 
