 | April 19, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- Royal Wedding gives U.K. retailers hope for a shopping surge
 U.K. merchants hope the April 29 wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, which is sandwiched between two holidays to give many workers an 11-day vacation, will provide a much-needed if short-term boost in sales. Food and drink revenue is expected to rise as consumers celebrate, and sales of memorabilia to locals and international tourists are likely to soar, according to The Centre for Retail Research. The Wall Street Journal (4/19)       - Men's Wearhouse promotes COO to chief executive post
Men's Wearhouse has named President and COO Douglas Ewert to succeed founder and chairman George Zimmer as CEO, effective on June 15. Ewert spent a decade at Macy's before joining the men's apparel chain in 1995, and held a variety of merchandising roles before being appointed to his current post in 2008. Long the face and voice of the 1,192-store chain, Zimmer will consult on strategy and continue to be actively involved in marketing efforts. InternetRetailer.com (4/18) - Whole Foods co-CEO: Corporate responsibility starts with workers
 Employees work better and take better care of customers when they feel appreciated. That's a simple fact many companies forget when they focus solely on margin and profit, said Whole Foods Market Co-CEO Walter Robb. Rather than trying to inspire passion in your workers, offer them opportunities to move up and open-ended training that inspires them to find passion for themselves, he said. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Restaurants (4/19) - Pioneering personal shopper retires from Macy's after 73 years
Fashion devotee Cleo Cummings got her first job as a saleswoman at Meier & Frank in downtown Portland, Ore., in 1938 and never wanted to do anything else. The retailer eventually became part of Macy's, and this week the company celebrated the saleswoman's retirement after more than seven decades. Executives credit Cummings with creating the first personal shopper program. "On her original contract, there was a line about 'serving Meier & Frank faithfully.' Cleo signed that and she absolutely has," said Macy's vice president and Cummings' former store manager Bruce Randall. The Oregonian (Portland) (4/18) - Dish Network plans to assume leases on 500-plus Blockbuster stores
Dish Network expects to take on the leases of more than 500 Blockbuster stores after finalizing its $320.6 million acquisition of the bankrupt video rental chain this month. The satellite-TV provider said previously that it plans to keep at least some of the chain's 1,700 stores open as part of a strategy to cross-market its services to Blockbuster customers. The Wall Street Journal (4/18)  | Akamai - The Right Partner with the Right Solution
Are you failing to to satisfy user expectations for an outstanding online shopping experience? Do you need to accelerate your dynamic content? Do you strive to be a retailer that pushes the envelope with site technology and offerings? Learn why the Akamai Dynamic Site Accelerator is the right solution for those issues and more. |
 | Retail trends |  | | | - Retailers find ways to avoid raising apparel prices
Retailers dropped clothing prices in February and March, despite soaring cotton and gas prices that ate into profit margins, and some are exploring innovative ways to hold the line on prices in future. Levi Strauss just sealed a deal to begin replacing some of its cotton with Crailar, a material made from flax that's less expensive and more sustainable, and others including LOFT, Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie are creating simpler fashion lines that use less fabric. BNET (4/18) - Changing trends present challenges for tux-rental business
Formal-wear rental companies face long-term struggles as they begin to come back from the recession that had many couples opting for cheaper, less-formal ceremonies. Formal and costume rental revenue has declined 35% since 2001 as fewer couples marry, consumers opt for less dressy looks and retailers cut prices to sell more tuxes. St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Sacino's emerged from bankruptcy last fall, scaled down to four stores and with a new nationwide network of independent stores to rent its tuxes. St. Petersburg Times (Fla.) (4/19) - More consumers slated to spend tax checks in stores this year
 Analysts credit some of the March retail sales increase to consumers spending more of their tax refund checks in stores this year. More consumers plan to spend their tax refunds on shopping in 2011 after several years of saving and paying down debt, according to NRF data. "Because people have done such a good job of being very prudent with their money, it's nice to have a few $100 from Uncle Sam that you feel like you can do whatever you want with," said NRF's Ellen Davis. NBC.com/9News.com/Denver (4/18)  | Financial Control.
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 - The best -- and worst -- states for small-business taxes
South Dakota ranks as the most tax-friendly state for small businesses, according to data from the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, which based rankings on 18 measures, including income and property taxes as well as gas and other consumption-based taxes. Texas and Nevada also ranked high on the SBEC list, while Minnesota and the District of Columbia came in last. BusinessNewsDaily.com (4/15)  | What is the future of social media?
Find out how social media is spreading into many digital touchpoints and changing lifestyles, businesses and how we interact with each other from the Altimeter Group's Jeremiah Owyang. Register today for the 2011 Social Media Success Summit to learn more about social media and how to make it work for your business. 30% off pricing ends 4/20, register today! |
| NRF News | | | | - Do your associates know how to handle credit card data securely?
In view of the recent Epsilon data breach, now is the time to make sure your associates are trained on the importance of data security. The NRF Foundation has added two new online courses to its eLearning platform, NRF University wired. The first course, Introduction to Credit Card Security, provides an overview of how to handle credit cards and credit card data while Introduction to the PCI Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) covers PCI compliance levels and is geared to associates and managers who are responsible for implementing PCI DSS. Learn more. - Supply Chain Summit 2011 recap and handouts now available
Session recaps and handouts are available for viewing or download from last week's inaugural Supply Chain Summit. Learn how logistics community leaders are addressing new consumer product safety regulations, rising fuel costs and partnering together to identify multichannel solutions. Read more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Burger King franchisees gain pricing power in lawsuit settlement
Burger King and its franchisees announced a settlement Monday in a lawsuit filed in late 2009 by operators upset about the company's decision to force them to sell double cheeseburger for $1, a move franchisees called a money loser. The settlement includes a new policy that gives franchisees more input in decisions about which items to place on the quickservice chain's Value Menu, how much to charge and how long the specials will run. Reuters (4/18), The Miami Herald (free registration) (4/18)  | |  | | The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
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The average Easter shopper will spend $21.51 on new apparel, with sales expected to reach $2.4 billion. Source: 
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