 | September 22, 2010 | News for the retail industry |  |  | | - Sears aims to capture hip fashion fans with Forever 21 shop
Sears hopes to attract fashion-conscious shoppers while filling up a bit of its available real estate with the launch of a Forever 21 shop inside its store in Costa Mesa, Calif. The shop, expected to open this spring, will take up 15% of the overall space and boast both in-store and separate entrances; the company expects to gauge success by how many of the trendy apparel store's shoppers also spend money in Sears, The Wall Street Journal reports. The Wall Street Journal (9/22)       - Blockbuster is close to filing bankruptcy
Blockbuster is expected to file its long-awaited Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the next few days, once it has hammered out the fine points on a restructuring agreement, The Wall Street Journal reports. The bankruptcy aims at getting the struggling chain out from under about $900 million in debt and proceed with a plan to downsize brick-and-mortar operations and focus on digital-video delivery. The Wall Street Journal (9/22) - Borders looks beyond books in its struggle to survive
Borders has taken a page out of a Canadian retailer's book, imitating Indigo Books & Music's successful merchandising strategy in its struggle to survive as book sales continue to slow. Indigo bills itself as a "cultural department store," and 17% of sales come from nonbook items such as brie bakers that are paired with wine guides and pacifiers sold alongside books for babies. Bloomberg (9/21) - Shoppers to pare down to undies in quest for free clothes
Spanish retailer Desigual plans to hold its first U.S. underwear party Thursday morning, awarding the first 100 shoppers who show up at a New York store in their underwear with free clothing and offering discounts of up to 50% off on some items. "It's a cool opportunity, especially in the New York market, where in the retail market, everyone's trying to do their own thing to get attention from the consumer and also the media," said one branding expert. Crain's New York Business (9/21) - Sotheby's debuts Manhattan wine shop
Auction house Sotheby's jumped into the retail wine business this week, with a new store on the first floor of its Manhattan headquarters. Wine fans also have the option of buying online, selecting from an inventory that ranges from $13.95 to $40,000 per bottle. Reuters (9/21) - Apparel prices may be on the rise amid cotton supply worries
Floods in Pakistan and China have sparked concerns about the cotton supply, sending prices for the essential commodity to a 15-year high this week and leading to predictions of higher clothing prices in the months to come. The natural disasters in two of the world's top cotton-producing countries could continue to send prices higher in the near future, experts say. Telegraph (London) (9/21)  | Supercharging the Online Channel
Getting to the right shoppers and then converting them to buyers in your online store is every retailer's key objective. Short purchase windows, impatient buyers, and new mandates around security are creating unprecedented demands on commerce sites. Learn how to attract customers to your site, optimize their online shopping experience and drive more transactions. Watch the webinar NOW! |
 - Merchants grow enamored of location-based marketing tools
A growing number of brick-and-mortar stores are using location-based services that aim to lure nearby shoppers into their stores with offers sent to their mobile phones. Chains including H&M, Sephora and Best Buy have all recently partnered with location-based services in efforts to boost sales by bringing in more customers. Investor's Business Daily (9/20)  | Gain Control of Your Most Expensive Resource
The market for workforce management is still maturing and many growing companies have yet to implement a workforce management system. Download this complimentary article to learn about why growing companies need to adopt a workforce management solution to stay competitive and the business value this solution provides. |
| NRF News |  | | | - House vote on organized retail crime bill expected this week
An ORC bill backed by both retailers and eBay, which would establish a new unit at the Department of Justice focused on investigating and prosecuting organized retail crime, is scheduled for a vote this week in the House of Representatives. NRF is urging retailers to contact their representatives in Washington to show support for the legislation. Read more. - NRF SmartStat: Sept. 22, 2010
 Only 59% of surveyed executives believe their companies are actively monitoring the future supply of critical talent. Source: NRF's Retail Reference Center - How workforce management can save you money
In today's challenging economy, retailers are under pressure to improve the accuracy, efficiency and productivity of their labor pool. Retail analyst Sahir Anand of the Aberdeen Group reports that best-in-class retailers are turning to workforce management to sustain positive operational performance and drive the notion of customer centricity in all parts of the enterprise. Join Anand and other retail executives for a STORES Knowledge Series webinar on Oct. 7 to hear how enterprisewide workforce management can save you money and how to design an efficient work process. Learn more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - KFC campaign rents ad space on women's bottoms
KFC has launched a seat-of-the-pants campaign to promote the Double Down sandwich to young men, a key demographic for quickservice chains. The company is paying college women $500 to wear the name of the sandwich across their bottoms. USA TODAY (9/21) - Wendy's is waking up to breakfast opportunities
Wendy's is investing about $8 million this year to advertise breakfast offerings in three test markets, as part of the chain's plan to rapidly ramp up a new morning menu and capture breakfast sales. The chain, one of the only quickservice chains that doesn't offer a breakfast menu nationwide, estimates that a successful early menu could boost sales by about $150,000 per location. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (free registration) (9/21)  | |  | | The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
At Walmart.com, Global eCommerce & VUDU, your reach and impact is well beyond the walls of our stores. With over 1,000,000 products online, we harness the versatility and convenience of the Internet to save people money so they can live better. Join Walmart eCommerce a company passionate about combining the best of technology and world-class retailing.
Interested in learning more about advertising in NRF SmartBrief? Contact Susan W. Kim at (202) 407-7877 or skim@smartbrief.com.  | |  | |  |
| Career Track | | | |  | |  | | | | | | |  |  Human Resources Director, Merchant Development | Wal-Mart | Bentonville, AR | | Retail Solution/Application Consultant | MicroStrategy | Chicago, IL | | Director of Merchandising | Total Wine & More | Potomac, MD | | Website Analyst | Follett Higher Education Group | Oak Brook, IL | | Innovation Leader - Maximizer | Hallmark Cards | Kansas City, MO | | Manager, Strategic Retail Pricing | CVS Caremark | Woonsocket, RI | | Manager of Children's Product Development | The TJX Companies, Inc. | Framingham, MA | | eCommerce Web Buyer | Belk | Charlotte, NC | | Category Manager | CVS Caremark | Woonsocket, RI | | Online Buyer - Home Electronics | Sears | Hoffman Estates, IL | | Analyst | Oakley, Inc | Foothill Ranch, CA | | North America Retail Accounting Manager | Nike, Inc. | Portland, OR | | e-Commerce Retail Manager | AutoZone, Inc. | Memphis, TN | | Director of Strategic Pricing | Guitar Center | Westlake Village, CA | | Chief Merchandising Officer | Vanity | Fargo, ND | | Principal Business Consultant | Oracle Corporation | Atlanta, GA | | VP of Business Systems & Process Implementation / Administration | Dick's Sporting Goods | Pittsburgh, PA | | Retail Buyer | University Co-operative Society, Inc | Austin, TX | | | |  | |  | |
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