 | September 14, 2010 | News for the retail industry |  |  | | - Restoration Hardware redesigns for designers
Restoration Hardware aims to set itself apart from the pack with a revamped merchandise mix for fall. After several years of being lumped in with competitors such as Pottery Barn and Target, the niche home decor chain has added 500 new products including a replica of a dentist's chair from the mid-19th century. "I think their strategy now is all about much, much higher-end, higher-quality pieces that are almost focusing on interior designers," said Forrester Research analyst Sucharita Mulpuru. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (9/10)       - L.L.Bean President Chris McCormick on creating a culture of service
 L.L.Bean has consistently placed at or near the top of NRF's annual consumer surveys, a fact President Chris McCormick attributes to a service-focused philosophy that's remained the same since the company began in 1912. New selling channels and increasingly sophisticated consumers create more need than ever before for attention to service, he says, which starts with listening to customers and acting on their requests. NRF Blog (9/14) - Men's Wearhouse is winning with price promotions
Men's Wearhouse reported its single-largest sales volume day on Labor Day, the result of a buy-one-get-one-free promotion and accompanying ad campaign. Amid the ongoing uncertainty, the chain has shifted its marketing and advertising strategy to campaigns focused on price promotions, without sacrificing the service levels that led to the suit retailer's earlier success, BNET reports. BNET/Style Inc. blog (9/13) - Martha Stewart launches custom kitchens at Home Depot
Martha Stewart Living has created its first special-order line of custom kitchen cabinets, counter tops and hardware exclusively for Home Depot. The brand is focused on clean lines and practical additions such as cookbook pop downs, and the new line is designed to help cash-conscious consumers create a custom kitchen at an affordable price, according to this report. Los Angeles Times/L.A. at Home blog (9/13) - Publix touts reusable-bag effort
Publix says it has saved 1 billion paper and plastic bags since introducing a campaign encouraging use of reusable bags. The grocery chain also is donating reusable bags to nonprofit and partner organizations, and says that in 2009 its recycling rate was 45%. Drug Store News (9/13) , Retailing Today (free registration) (9/13)  | Applying Social Identity: 7
Best Practices for Driving Registrations — Enabling your users to register with an existing identity from Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo or other provider is one of the most powerful tools available today. Learn how applying best practices can increase registrations on your site by as much as 25%. Download the free whitepaper now. | - August retail sales see biggest increase since March
U.S. retail sales rose 0.4% in August, marking the second consecutive rise in monthly retail sales and the largest increase since March, according to Commerce Department figures. Department stores, apparel retailers, discounters and sporting-goods chains were among the retail segments that saw an uptick last month, evidence that retail is likely recovering after a spring slump that spurred fears of a second recession. Google/The Associated Press (9/14) - Merchants make the most of back-to-school
Marketers are still seeking last-minute back-to-school bargain hunters, despite NRF data showing that many consumers were done with their shopping by the middle of August, Brandweek reports. For retailers including Target, Staples and Gap, back-to-school efforts that hit home with consumers spurred big brand buzz among consumers surveyed by YouGov. Brandweek (9/10) - Study: Shoppers stick to their lists
Research from NPD Group found that 94% of grocery shoppers use a written list, and 72% usually keep to the list. "For marketers, that means it's all about how to get on the list," said the report's author, Ann Hanson, who noted online ads are important because shoppers look to the Internet for recipes and ideas. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (9/13)  |  |  | | Compare 11 Leading ERP Solutions 119 Ways
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 - 3-hour crash eats into Labor Day sales for Costco.com
Costco's e-commerce site came to a crashing halt for three hours in the midst of its Labor Day sales earlier this month, the result of a network problem rather than an overload of shoppers, the company said. "This is a pretty extreme event for a major retailer like that," said Shawn White of Web tracking firm Keynote Systems. "Thank goodness it's not Black Friday." StorefrontBacktalk (9/12)  | 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! |
 - The legal implications of partnering up
John Gerber, a Philadelphia lawyer and founder of UpstartLegal.com, offers five tips on setting up business partnerships, making them work and knowing when they can't. He suggests determining who makes decisions on certain aspects of business and creating a strategy in case one partner wants to exit. Having a legal adviser also is key. Bloomberg Businessweek (9/10)  | Blue Harbor Increases Sales 40% to 65%
"The first spike in sales on Amazon occurred when we won the Buy Box. The second, and perhaps more important, is when we started using FBA." Anuj Goel, Blue Harbor LLC. Read more about Blue Harbor Online's success with Fulfillment by Amazon. |
| NRF News |  | | | - August retail sales increase but still show cautious consumer
Led by traditional back-to-school categories, retail sales across the board showed strength for the month of August, rising 0.5% seasonally adjusted over July and increasing 3.0% unadjusted over last year, according to NRF. "While the underlying trends remain positive, shoppers are still focused on getting their finances in order," said NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz. "The challenge for retailers is to convince consumers that the recession is over and to buy accordingly." Read more. - How to instill a sales culture in your store
Recognized for his focus on improving staff performance to increase sales, Kevin Graff of Graff Retail Inc. will keynote NRF's HR Executives Summit, Oct. 12 to 14 in Dallas. Graff will share his keen insight on how to create a sustainable sales model that becomes part of the daily company culture and will provide a blueprint for building a sales culture that gives the results retailers are looking for. Learn more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Iconic NYC coffee shop makes a comeback
Chock Full o'Nuts coffee shops were born in the Depression and grew into an iconic Manhattan chain known for low-cost comfort foods such as nut-and-cream-cheese sandwiches. The tradition disappeared as times changed; now, a group of developers is dedicated to bringing back the chain, with an eatery that opened in the city this week. The group could build up to 50 Chock Full o'Nuts shops during the next 15 years, according to this report. The New York Times (free registration) (9/10)  | |  | | The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
Learn how improving forecast accuracy enables better decision making, allocation and replenishment, and reduces stock-outs and manual intervention within the supply chain. In this research report, retailers share insights on how advanced demand forecasting and modeling tools help predict and grow future profits. Click here to download report.
Interested in learning more about advertising in NRF SmartBrief? Contact Susan W. Kim at (202) 407-7877 or skim@smartbrief.com.  | |  | |  |
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 | |  | | | | | | |  |  Director of Merchandising | Total Wine & More | Potomac, MD | | Chief Merchandising Officer | Vanity | Fargo, ND | | North America Retail Accounting Manager | Nike, Inc. | Portland, OR | | Buyer - Childrens | The TJX Companies, Inc. | Los Angeles, CA | | Buyer - Big and Tall | The TJX Companies, Inc. | Framingham, MA | | Buyer | The TJX Companies | Framingham, MA | | Online Buyer - Home Electronics | Sears | Hoffman Estates, IL | | Analyst | Oakley, Inc | Foothill Ranch, CA | | Human Resources Director, Merchant Development | Wal-Mart | Bentonville, AR | | CRM Credit Card Marketing Analyst | HSN | St. Petersburg, FL | | Buyer | Headquarters Marine Corps, Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) | Quantico, VA | | Assistant Buyer | Headquarters Marine Corps/Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) | Quantico, VA | | Director of Strategic Pricing | Guitar Center | Westlake Village, CA | | e-Commerce Retail Manager | AutoZone, Inc. | Memphis, TN | | Principal Business Consultant | Oracle Corporation | Atlanta, GA | | Manager of Children's (Kids) Product Development | TJX Companies | Boston, MA | | SR. Pet Product Development Design Specialist | TJX Companies | Boston, MA | | Graphic Designer - Apparel | Tween Brands | New Albany, OH | | VP of Business Systems & Process Implementation / Administration | Dick's Sporting Goods | Pittsburgh, PA | | Business Systems Analyst | Nike | Portland, OR | | Senior Project Manager | Nike | Portland, OR | | | |  | |  | |
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Last year, the average sales per square foot was roughly $254, compared with $279 for 2008. Source: 
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