| April 30, 2012 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
 | The Secrets of Apple's Retail Success - Apple Stores have shattered traditional metrics and changed the face of the retail industry forever. Go behind the scenes of Apple Stores and learn techniques Apple uses to delight their customers. Download this free eBook here. Brought to you by TimeTrade - the leader in online appointment scheduling for retail. | - For Dollar General, adding groceries makes sense
Dollar General is increasing competition with grocers by adding fresh food and a larger selection of refrigerated items at midsize stores. CEO Rick Dreiling called the 16,000-square-foot discount format "the new general store." The company plans to open about 40 Dollar General Market locations during the next year. The Wall Street Journal (4/29)      - Albertsons LLC team centers on social and digital media
Albertsons LLC is focusing on social media and digital marketing, creating a team led by Karl Meinhardt, who developed Albertsons.com in 1998. "It's an exciting segment of grocery retail marketing because the space is constantly evolving," Meinhardt said. "Awareness, agility and brand personality are the key factors of success in the ever-changing digital/social frontier." Retailing Today (free registration) (4/27)  | Master of Business Administration. Online, On Campus, or Both. Give your career a more powerful advantage with an MBA from Strayer University. No GMAT Required. Classes begin July 2. Prepare yourself for the ever-evolving workplace and immediately begin to boost your career. |
 - Mother's Day gift giving expands to the experiential
Though 83% of consumers will buy mothers a card this Mother's Day, according to the National Retail Federation, some brands are enticing shoppers who lean toward the more imaginative. Big Apple Florist is offering traditional bouquets along with packages that include lessons in how to arrange them, while Cloud 9 Living's experiential packages include lessons in dogfighting in actual jet aircraft. Adweek (4/30) - Who is the extreme cross-shopper?
Consumers who shop at Nordstrom and other high-end department stores also spend at discount department stores such as Kohl's and lower-priced specialty stores such as Zara and H&M, according to research from MasterCard. "People who do have means don't want to be identified as people who are in a category that separates them from the rest of the world," says consumer psychologist Kit Yarrow. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (4/30)  | Which do you choose: Customer frustration…or channel integration? Today's consumers expect to shop the way technology lets them work and live: easily, efficiently and seamlessly across channels. Aberdeen's 2012 Analyst Insight on the Omni-Channel Retail Experience explains how your competitors make that happen – and how you can too! This $399 value is now yours free. Download the report now! |
 - Europe's Wrapp launches U.S. gift-card service
Wrapp has launched service in the U.S., partnering with retailers including Gap, H&M and Sephora on a service that lets consumers send free and paid gift cards to friends on Facebook. The service launched in Sweden late last year, and has since gone live in Norway, the U.K., Germany, France and The Netherlands. Wrapp is part of a growing "social gifting" trend that includes online friends going in on gifts together. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (4/30), Reuters (4/30)  | 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.
| | | Most Popular Headlines from Last Week Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers. |
| NRF News | | | | - How retailers can turn the Tide on organized retail theft
When it comes to organized retail crime, criminals are quick to get their hands on the hottest-selling merchandise because of its high resale value. In a post on Retail's BIG blog, NRF's Senior Asset Protection Advisor Joe LaRocca explains how a recent rise in Tide detergent theft calls attention to what retailers can do to build their defenses against the growing problem of ORC, which costs merchants tens of billions each year. Read more. Retail's BIG Blog (3/14)
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Yum! to sell U.S. units to franchisees, invest overseas
Yum! Brands plans to sell hundreds of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants in the U.S. to franchisees and invest profits in opening new eateries in faster growing markets including China and India. "Older brands refranchise because return on invested capital becomes so important, and so mathematically, it makes sense for them to do so in mature markets and develop in places like China," restaurant consultant John Gordon said. Fox Business/Dow Jones Newswires (4/27) | |  | | Position Title | Company Name | Location | | Customer Intelligence Strategist | GFS Marketplace | Grand Rapids , MI | | Director of Catalog Merchandising/Creative | Scrubs & Beyond, LLC | St. Louis , MO | | Retail Construction/Project Manager | Jewelry Repair Enterprises, Inc | Delray Beach, FL | | Senior Buyer | Floor and Decor Outlets of America, Inc. | Smryna, GA | | Director of Payroll | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Merchandise Buyer | Gorsuch Ltd. | Vail, CO | | Senior Director of Quality and Product Safety | Walmart | Shenzhen, China | | Senior Manager of Field Human Resources | Ollie's Bargain Outlet | Harrisburg, PA | | Buyer, Hardgoods | Moosejaw Mountaineering | Madison Heights, MI | | Merchandise Planner | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Director of Retail, Travel Hospitality Service | Delaware North Companies | Buffalo, NY | | Director of Field Human Resources | The Vitamin Shoppe | North Bergen , NJ | | Learning Solutions Manager | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Wholesale Visual Coordinator | MacKenzie-Childs LLC | New York, NY | | Retail Merchandise Manager | Le Creuset of America, Inc./Schiller Stores, Inc. | Early Branch, SC | | Fashion Product Manager (Sourcing Manager) | Target | Minneapolis, MN | | Product Manager (Sourcing Manager) | Target | Minneapolis, MI | | Fashion Buyer | Target | Minneapolis, MN | | Target.com Merchandising Buyer | Target | Minneapolis, MN | | Retail Buyer - Home | Target | Minneapolis, MN | | | Click here to view more job listings. | | |
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Men intend to spend an average of $112 on consumer electronics for mom this Mother's Day, compared to $89 for women. Source: 
