 | September 30, 2010 | News for the retail industry |  |  | | - Wal-Mart names new CFO
Wal-Mart will promote treasurer and executive vice president Charles Holley to the post of chief financial officer when current CFO Tom Schoewe steps down from the position Nov. 30. The move is the latest in a series of upper-management changes at the retail chain, including when Bill Simon replaced Eduardo Castro-Wright as president of U.S. operations in June. The Wall Street Journal (9/29)       - Best Buy to offer "Free Phone Fridays" in October
Best Buy plans to offer four different mobile phones, including at least one high-end smartphone, for free each Friday in October; the company will announce the details each Thursday on its website and social media pages. Consumers who take advantage of the offer, which is slated to include one phone from each major carrier, will be required to sign two-year service agreements. InformationWeek (9/28) - GNC makes plans to go public
GNC Holdings detailed plans for an initial public offering to raise up to $350 million. The 7,100-store nutritional-supplement retail chain, owned by private-equity firm Apollo Management, had planned to go public in 2006 but withdrew its IPO after market conditions changed. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (9/28) - Kohl's plans several store openings
Kohl's Corp. said it has plans to open 21 stores and hire 3,000 employees in 15 states, in addition to remodeling 85 existing locations. The discount department store chain has also created a new customer-service center in San Antonio that's slated to hire about 1,000 people during the next three years. NPR.org/The Associated Press (9/29)  | How the 'Like' Button Impacts Search Results
Do you know how Social and Search intersect today? Find out how your site can apply the open graph and Facebook's "Like" button to bridge social and search and drive increased site traffic. Download this FREE whitepaper now. | - Shipping increases boost hopes for holiday season
FedEx and Delta Air Lines report higher cargo shipments to retailers this fall, a good sign for the upcoming holiday season. Hong Kong-based clothing and toy supplier Li & Fung Ltd. said earlier this month that its orders to major U.S. retailers including Wal-Mart and Target are significantly up over last year, as merchants restock depleted inventories. The Boston Globe/Bloomberg (9/29) - M&A back in style for fashion industry
Conditions have aligned to make it a good time for mergers and acquisitions in the fashion industry. Destination Maternity is reportedly shopping for a buyer, and other potential takeover targets include teen apparel brands American Eagle Outfitters and Aeropostale, as well as luxury shoemaker Jimmy Choo. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (9/30)  | New 2010 Enterprise VoIP Buyer's Guide
This updated Buyer's Guide from Focus will help you fully understand both your business phone system needs as well as the purchase process. Compare features and read advice from other buyers.
Click Here to learn more. |
 - Merchants move to capture holiday shoppers on Facebook
 Facebook's 500 million users are an attractive lure for the nation's retailers, many of whom are working fast to create stores on the social network in time for the holidays, said experts at this week's Shop.org Summit. Social networks initially provided a place for retailers to reach out and connect with consumers; converting those consumers into customers is the next step, said Adgregate Markets CEO Henry Wong. "This is where the customer is hanging out. They're not hanging out on websites." The Dallas Morning News (9/30)  | Element Jewelry Increases Revenue 83% in Two Years
"Amazon Services hasn't 'helped' my business. It's the lifeblood of my business." Kathy Wojtczak, Element Jewelry
Read more about Element Jewelry's success with Fulfillment by Amazon. |
 - Social-media marketing doesn't live up to expectations
 About a quarter of small businesses use some form of social-media marketing, but many say their efforts haven't lived up to their expectations in terms of attracting new customers and developing more brand awareness, according to a poll. Still, 42% of those that use social media say they have received sales leads from Facebook. Twitter brings up the rear, with only 16% of small-business social-media users saying they've received sales leads through using it. eMarketer (9/29) - Small businesses are unlikely to see investors rushing in
Investors have only three months to put money into a small business in order to benefit from a capital gains tax cut included in the small-business law. Most investors say that's not enough time to find the right company and invest, so the provision isn't likely to change investor behavior much this year. "We don't write checks from a back-of-a-napkin plan," said angel investor Dave Berkus, who said it usually takes three to five months to work out details of a deal. The Wall Street Journal (9/30)  | 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! |
| NRF News |  | | | - Buzz Lightyear, Alice in Wonderland among top costumes for 2010
According to NRF's top Halloween costumes survey, released today, pop culture and Hollywood will play a large role in costume choices for all ages. According to the survey, conducted by BIGresearch, many Halloween celebrants plan to dress as Buzz Lightyear, Alice in Wonderland and Spider-Man this year. Witches will take the top spot for adults, princess costumes will be at the top of the list for kids, and pumpkins will be the most popular costumes for pets. Read more. - NRF SmartStat: Sept. 30, 2010
When it comes to handling international returns, nearly four out of 10 online retailers require customers to ship items to a returns center in the retailer's country of origin. Source: Shop.org's The State of Retailing Online report - Southwest Airlines co-founder: The customer is not always right
Want to keep your associates happy? Southwest Airlines President Emeritus Colleen Barrett shares her advice: Give employees the authority to make good decisions, embrace your corporate culture as a way of life, and stop saying the customer is always right (they're not, she says). In a three-minute video, hear more about Barrett's philosophies on taking care of employees. Watch the video.
- McDonald's warns it may drop employee health plan
McDonald's may drop the health insurance plan it carries for about 30,000 U.S. workers, unless the chain wins an exemption to a provision in the new federal health care law, the company said. Under the new law, companies would be required to spend between 80% and 85% of their premium amounts on health care, a provision the company says is unrealistic given the costs associated with administering plans in high-turnover businesses. The Wall Street Journal (9/30)  | Recruiters from Microsoft, Starbucks, Facebook & more
Demystify the corporate recruitment process and find out what happens behind the scenes after you submit your resume. Top recruiters share tips & tools for getting your resume into the hands of hiring managers. This session and 12 more start on 10/26 during Career Summit 2010. Register today for 50% off! | | 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 | | Retail Merchandise Manager | Hallmark Cards | Kansas City, MO | | Controller | Pacific Gateway Concessions | South San Francisco, CA | | Senior Retail Marketing Manager | Cabela's | Sidney, NE | | Web Analytics Manager | Neiman Marcus | Dallas, TX | | Inventory Accountant - Intermediate | Follett Higher Education Group | Oak Brook, IL | | Database Marketing Analyst | CSN Stores, LLC | Boston, MA | | Sales Forecast Manager | Carolina Pad | Charlotte, NC | | Head of eBusiness Operations | Crate and Barrel | Northbrook, IL | | Manager, Strategic Retail Pricing | 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 | | eCommerce Web Buyer | Belk | Charlotte, NC | | Website Analyst | Follett Higher Education Group | Oak Brook, IL | | Category Manager | CVS Caremark | Woonsocket, RI | | Director of Strategic Pricing | Guitar Center | Westlake Village, CA | | Innovation Leader - Maximizer | Hallmark Cards | Kansas City, MO | | 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 | | Associate Buyer (Merchant) | Zale Corporation | Irving (DFW), TX | | IT Development Manager | The Timberland Company | Stratham, NH | | | |  | |  | |
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