Limited Brands to boost global accessories business

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January 21, 2011 News for the retail industry   Industry Watch    How Forever 21 built its empire Forever 21 owes its success to a fast-fashion strategy that involves constantly putting new, fresh designs upfront and selling them for affordable prices. Since the downturn, the chain has ramped up its expansion efforts by searching out prime locations left empty by merchants that hit hard times, including its new Fifth Avenue flagship in the former Takashimaya store space in New York City. Bloomberg Businessweek (1/20) Limited Brands to boost global accessories business Limited Brands has reassigned Henri Bendel CEO Ed Bucciarelli to head a new push to expand its accessories business in international markets and hired President Chris Fiore to oversee Bendel's day-to-day operations. The company has been building its Victoria's Secret, Pink and Bath & Body Works brands in several international markets including Canada and the Middle East, and reportedly is considering adding accessories at its Bath & Body Works stores. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (1/20) Levin Furniture shifts strategies Levin Furniture in Pennsylvania already was planning to turn a former grocery store into its newest showroom, but a competitor's decision to liquidate gave owner Robert Levin the idea to use that soon-to-be vacant spot to host a clearance sale of his own. Levin has weathered the recession better than some, he says, but slower sales have forced the company to get more creative: reconfiguring displays to fit in smaller spaces and rehabbing existing real estate instead of developing from scratch. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (1/20) Stein Mart freshens customer loyalty program Stein Mart has partnered with Denver-based Customer Insight Group to revamp its preferred-customer loyalty program, based on transaction data and feedback from customers. The changes aim to improve distribution of discounts, promotions and other program rewards. American City Business Journals/Jacksonville, Fla. (1/20) H&M collaborates with retro clog maker Hasbeens Hasbeens, a Swedish retro clog maker, is the latest designer collaborator to work with Hennes & Mauritz. The fashion giant has been working with a series of top designers to attract customers. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sarah Jessica Parker and other celebrities wear the high-end clogs from Hasbeens. The company's less expensive range will be available at 150 H&M stores this spring. Reuters (1/20) , The Wall Street Journal (1/20) Other News Calypso St. Barth creates exclusive line for Target Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (1/21) Saks to open first OFF 5TH store in Mississippi Display & Design Ideas (1/20) Compare 11 Leading ERP Solutions 119 Ways This extensive Comparison Guide prepares Finance, Manufacturing and Operations professionals by giving you the line-up of 11 leading ERP solutions evaluated across 119 features. Jumpstart your business with a successful ERP implementation! >Download your FREE ERP Comparison Guide   Retail Trends    NRF study: Retail execs plot growth and mobile strategies Retailers expect to tweet more in 2011 as they rely more on mobile commerce and leadership development to expand their business, most notably oversees, according to an annual survey by NRF. Cost containment in 2011 is not as important as it was in 2010 with Katherine Mance, NRF Foundation's executive director, saying, "It's quite obvious retailers are anxious to put the recession behind them and build upon their customer service initiatives, enhance their mobile platforms and even grow their footprint." MediaPost Communications/MarketingDaily (1/20) , The Record (Hackensack, N.J.) (1/21) , PetProductNews.com (1/20) Apparel chains market more to mini-me fashionistas The youngest among consumers are developing a sense of style earlier, looking to their older peers to set the pace and depending on parents willing to foot the bill. Fashion-conscious tots are proving a growth area for chains including Abercrombie & Fitch, J. Crew and Aeropostale, all of which are expanding their brands for young children. The Philadelphia Inquirer (1/19) Shopping districts in Dallas and Denver partner to fill stores Denver's Larimer Square shopping district has teamed up with the open-air West Village shopping center in Dallas in an effort to tap other markets that are looking to expand. "If you're a small fashion store in L.A. wanting to move, we could link up and work deals for Denver and Dallas together," said Larimer Associates Chief Operating Officer Joe Vostrejs. The Denver Post (1/20) Unsure how to respond on Facebook? Download our free Whitepaper: The Definitive Guide to Social Media Moderation and Publishing With more than 700 status updates posted on Facebook per second, you need a game plan. Download Whitepaper   Retail Technology    The same chains consistently top IT-innovators list Target, J.C. Penney and Kohl's are once again among Citigroup's annual list of top retailers for IT sophistication. In a report presented at NRF's Big Show last week, Citigroup's Deborah Weinswig also named Macy's, Nordstrom and Saks among the department store chains increasing their investments in mobile tech. StorefrontBacktalk (1/20) Blog like the big brands McDonalds' Rick Wion joins practitioners from Cisco, Ford, Sony and Proctor & Gamble to share insights into using blogs to expand your business. 23 blogging experts give you strategies for engaging your fans & growing your brand at the Blogging Success Summit. Early-bird pricing ends 1/25. Register today!   Featured Content    Small Business Week in Review Jason Del Rey (OPEN Forum Executive Editor) Which Comes First, the Brand or the Advertising? DOMINIC SINESIO 3 Books I Read Last Year that Changed My Thinking Ann Handley Should You Run a Groupon Promotion? Erin Zimmer How to Reduce Employee Turnover Katie Morell   NRF News  As health care fight moves to the Senate, retailers weigh compliance options As the debate over repealing last year's health care law heats up in the Senate, some small retailers who fall under the 50 full-time worker threshold for being covered have told NRF they are limiting growth rather than face the mandates and penalties contained within the law. Some larger retailers have said they will have to limit future growth or otherwise reduce their size of their workforces in a still-tight economy that makes it difficult to absorb the higher costs. Read more. NRF SmartStat: Jan. 21, 2011 Three-quarters of retailers plan to increase their consumer insight and data gathering initiatives in 2011, up from 65% in 2010. Source: Retail Horizons 2010.   Analytics trend spotting helps Chico's connect staff retention to sales In a recent video post on Retail's BIG Blog, Jeff Jones, EVP and COO of Chico's FAS, shares how the company's comprehensive analysis of collected data has resulted in a clearer view of their customer -- including which store she shops at and which sales associate she trusts. Watch the video. Learn more about NRF -> Join NRF  |  Govt Relations  |  NRF Events  |  STORES  |  NRF Foundation   Chain Restaurant News  Pei Wei picks blogger to document chef's tour of Asia Pei Wei Asian Diner has named copywriter Alice Shin as the winner of its blogger contest. She will document executive chef Eric Justice's 18-day culinary tour of Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan and South Korea. Shin's work will include daily blog posts and video from the trip, which starts Feb. 24. FastCasual.com (1/20) Straw Hat Pizza pushes into new markets with revamped menu Straw Hat Pizza spent 50 years building its name in California before venturing beyond the Golden State's boundaries. Recent expansions into new markets including Florida, New Jersey and Texas came with redesigns aimed at giving the eateries a more sophisticated look and an expanded menu that features more complex pasta dishes and a bigger variety of sandwich options. PizzaMarketplace.com (1/20) Other News Energy Kitchen plans to expand health-focused chain to 50 by 2016 FastCasual.com (1/20)   Career Track  Par Technology Corporation Announces Death of Executive Officer Ed Soladay Proplanner Seeks Value Added Resellers LinkedIn Names Michael Moritz to Its Board of Directors MoneyGram International Expands Executive Team Asset Protection Manager Saks Fifth Avenue Beverly Hills, CA Loss Prevention Manager-PowerMax Warehouse-McCalla, Ala OfficeMax McCalla, AL Vice President - Divisional Merchandise Manager The Vitamin Shoppe North Bergen, NJ Planogram Specialist Exchange (Army Air Force Exchange Serivce) Dallas, TX Operational Initiatives Manager Ross Stores, Inc. Pleasanton, CA Store Operations Manager - dd's DISCOUNTS Ross Stores, Inc. Pleasanton, CA Manager of New Store Openings & Operations Ross Stores, Inc. Pleasanton, CA Corporate Recruiter - Merchandising and Retail Meijer Grand Rapids, MI Systems Analyst-Merchandising Applications PetSmart Phoenix, AZ Manager IS Data Center & Wintel PetSmart Phoenix, AZ Senior Program Manager PetSmart Phoenix, AZ Chief Merchant/General Merchandise Manager Moosejaw Mountaineering Madison Heights, MI Vice President of Supply Chain & Replenishment Total Wine & More Potomac, MD Associate Buyer - International & Offshore Markets (Bilingual Spanish required) OfficeMax Naperville, IL Program Analyst/Logistics Marine Corps Exchanges/Headquarters Marine Corps Quantico, VA Merchandise Data Analyst Marine Corps Exchanges/Headquarters Marine Corps Quantico, VA Divisional Merchandising Manager - Men's Sportswear Stein Mart Jacksonville, Florida, FL Divisional Merchandising Manager - Home Decor & Gifts Stein Mart Jacksonville, FL Lead Analyst, Paid Search Target Corporation Minneapolis, MN VP of Marketing Teavana Atlanta - Buckhead, GA Senior Manager, Site Planning Target Corporation Minneapolis, MN   SmartQuote  Life is under no obligation to give us what we expect." --Margaret Mitchell, American author   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   Advertise Associate Publisher:  Susan W. 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