Midnight is the new Black Friday 4 a.m.

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November 1, 2011 News for the retail industry   Top Story    Barnes & Noble may launch Nook tablet Barnes & Noble reportedly is expected to unveil a tablet version of its Nook e-reader at a news conference on Monday, in time for the holidays. The news will come on the heels of Amazon's debut of the Kindle Fire, an upgraded version of that company's e-reader that will sell for $199. USA TODAY/The Associated Press (10/31)      What do consumers plan to spend? As the holiday season nears, 46% of consumers say they plan to cut back spending over the next three months compared to the same time last year, mirroring what we heard in October 2008. Download a sample report from The Economy Tracker to learn more about how consumers view today’s economy compared to the 2008/2009 recession.   Industry Watch    Midnight is the new Black Friday 4 a.m. Macy's is the latest retailer to announce it will open at the stroke of midnight on Black Friday to get in additional holiday shopping hours. Target made a similar announcement late last week. Upscale chains Saks and Nordstrom have ruled out midnight openings, J.C. Penney says it's sticking with 4 a.m. except at stores in malls that are opening earlier, and other retailers are waiting to announce their plans. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (11/1)      Wal-Mart to add 300 in-store H&R Block offices National tax preparation firm H&R Block said it will open kiosks in 300 U.S. Wal-Mart stores starting in December. Last year, rival Jackson Hewitt offered electronic tax-return-filing services at 2,000 Wal-Mart stores. American City Business Journals/Kansas City, Mo. (10/31)      Stuart Weitzman plans aggressive retail expansion Shoe designer Stuart Weitzman marked the launch of an aggressive retail expansion plan with recent openings of stores on New York City's Fifth Avenue and Chicago's Michigan Avenue. The brand, which is owned by Jones Apparel Group, plans to open in several more U.S. markets next year, debut 35 international stores next year and grow from three to 50 in China by 2014. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (10/31)      Other News Federal agents seize 58 websites selling fake sports items Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (10/31)      Straight Talk on the New PCI Tokenization Guidelines Not all internal PCI tokenization solutions are created equal. Register for this free webinar to hear independent PCI Qualified Security Assessor Walter Conway give insight from field engagements to illustrate best practices for solution selection and implementation.   Retail trends    Study: Daily deals may drive holiday discounting Daily deal sites such as Groupon have changed many consumers' idea of what constitutes a bargain and many say anything less than 50% off doesn't constitute a bargain, according to a survey from Retrevo. The trend could mean deeper discounting from retailers trying to keep up this holiday season, the report said. American City Business Journals/Nashville, Tenn. (10/31)      Americans continue to ramp up spending on pets U.S. spending this year on pet products is expected to be a little more than $50 billion, per American Pet Products Association data, a record-setting figure for the industry. Meanwhile, Mintel predicts that spending in this sector will grow 33% over the next five years. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (10/31)      Grocery openings slow in Charleston, S.C., area A Publix Super Markets store that opened in Goose Creek, S.C., is probably the last grocery to open for a while in the three-county Charleston, S.C., region. The area has 94 stores for a population of 664,000, meaning the market is saturated. The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.) (free registration) (10/31)      Maintaining accurate inventory is at the heart of retailing. Perpetual inventory solutions are one means to that end. Download our white paper, Inventory Is the Store: How Mobility Maximizes Return on Investment, to learn how Zebra mobile inventory solutions improve inventory management by meeting your inventory where it lives on the shelves.   Retail Technology    Big brands seek social media directors Major brands increasingly are creating new executive marketing roles within their ranks for individuals with expertise in social media, as sites such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook become increasingly vital as forums for customer outreach. Kevin Scholl, hired in September as Red Roof Inn's first social media manager, said the hospitality company "wanted somebody who didn't have a traditional marketing background. They understood that social media is not about traditional communication; that it is about engagement." ClickZ (10/27)      How CFOs and VPs of Sales Can Improve Forecast Accuracy & Increase Revenues Are your current systems for forecasting sales and revenue as accurate as you would like? Do you currently use a structured, collaborative, and fact-based forecasting process? To learn more about how you can dramatically extend your forecasting & reporting capacities with an easy to use solution, click here to learn more.   Main Street    How to attract customers with your sustainability efforts Sustainability is great for the environment, but trumpeting your company's green credentials doesn't automatically translate into business success. "Greenness" is a broad term and companies have to explain what it means in their specific case and then follow through with sustainable practices. Businesses should also remember that their customers may be more interested in other aspects of their products rather than their greenness. Entrepreneur.com (10/31)      Special Offer for SmartBrief Readers: How to Win at the Local Marketing Game. Marketing guru John Jantsch gives five strategies for helping any local business to stand out online. Want to help your business get to the top of a consumer's search? Click here for a free white paper from American Express OPEN outlining John's time-tested strategies for success in today's hyperlocal marketplace.   Sponsored Content    5 Essential Steps To Achieving Your Goals Murray Smith How Restaurants Are Maintaining Margins In Tough Times Mike DiVencinzo Small Business Snapshot: Mid-Market Companies Lead In Job Creation Katie Morell Old Habits Die Hard-Here's How To Kill Them RIEVA LESONSKY Customer Service Mistakes You'll Never Recover From Julie Rains   NRF News  Why Internet domain expansion could cost more than brand identity This January, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers will begin accepting applications for new extensions of generic top-level domains from the familiar .com, .org, and .edu and will allow brands to turn their names into Internet extensions. If you're part of a retail organization that conducts business online, now is the time to learn exactly how these changes will impact your brand. Shop.org's Artemis Berry shares the top five things you need to know to prepare your legal, e-commerce, and branding teams for the switch. Read more. Shop.org Blog (11/1)      NRF SmartStat: Nov. 1, 2011 Holiday shoppers say they plan to shell out an average of $704.18 on holiday gifts and seasonal merchandise, down slightly from last year's $718.98. Source: NRF survey conducted by BIGresearch        What's hot in retail (and at NRF) For retailers, October marks the beginning of the most profitable — and frantic — time of the year: the beginning of the holiday season. As retailers buckled down for the season, hot retail resources included Halloween consumer survey results and trends, NRF's holiday forecast and Holiday Headquarters, and the specifics on who will keynote the 2012 Retail's BIG Show (hint: you can call him "President"). Read more. Retail's BIG Blog (11/1)      Learn more about NRF -> Join NRF  |  Govt Relations  |  NRF Events  |  STORES  |  NRF Foundation   Chain Restaurant News  Starbucks goes mobile in fall campaign Starbucks is using QR codes that can be scanned by mobile devices as a centerpiece of its campaign for fall coffees. The coffee company is using technology from Scanbuy, which takes users to a video on its Caffe Verona blend when they scan QR codes in magazines and other locations. MobileCommerceDaily.com (10/31)      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 Store Director - Las Vegas, NV Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH Las Vegas, NV Recruiting Manager - Atlanta Area Saks Fifth Avenue Atlanta, GA Marketing Director - Bala Cynwyd, PA - Saks Fifth Avenue Saks Fifth Avenue Bala Cynwyd, PA Director, Store Planning and Design Ross Stores, Inc. Pleasanton, CA 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 Asset Protection Associate Saks Fifth Avenue San Francisco, CA Commission Sales Associates, Alterations/Fitter/Sewer, Department Managers, LP/Asset Protection Saks Fifth Avenue Chevy Chase, MD Costume Designer/Sr. Manager Spirit Halloween Egg Harbor Township, NJ Buyer - Junior Tops, Dresses and Related Separates Bealls Bradenton, FL Logistics Operations Manager Spencer Gifts/Spirit Halloween Egg Habor Township, NJ Director of Operations Five Below, Inc. Philadelphia, PA Enterprise Architect Manager Cabela's Sidney, NE Seasonal Selling Professional Saks Fifth Avenue Troy, MI Beauty Specialist Saks Fifth Avenue Atlanta, GA Cosmetics Business Manager Saks Fifth Avenue Atlanta, GA Assistant General Manager Operations (AGMO) Saks Fifth Avenue Birmingham, AL Selling Director - Intimates - New York, NY Saks Fifth Avenue New York, NY Selling Director - Men's Luxury Apparel - New York, NY Saks Fifth Avenue New York, NY Director - Asset Protection - New York, NY Saks Fifth Avenue New York, NY Fashion Buyer Target Minneapolis, MN Click here to view more job listings.   SmartQuote  The great aim of education is not knowledge but action." --Herbert Spencer, British philosopher, biologist and sociologist        This SmartBrief was created for cpgbrokers.data@blogger.com   Subscriber Tools       Update account information | Change e-mail address | Unsubscribe | Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Grab our News Widget Publish your Press Release   Advertise Associate Publisher:  Susan W. 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