 | April 7, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
| Top Story |  |  | | - Retailers report better-than-expected March sales
Retail sales in March proved stronger than economists and analysts expected, according to same-store sales reports from several national chains on Thursday. Costco, B.J.'s Wholesale Club, Limited Brands and teen retailer Zumiez were among those reporting higher-than-expected March sales, while chains including Target and Hot Topic reported drops that weren't as steep as analysts feared. Higher gas prices, chillier weather and an Easter holiday that falls three weeks later than last year had some industry watchers predicting the first monthly same-store sales decline since August 2009. The Wall Street Journal (4/7), The Washington Post/The Associated Press (4/7), Reuters (4/7)       | Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN®
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  - Target calls for Canada stores to push total sales over $100 billion
Target's plan to open about 200 stores in Canada in the coming years is likely to eventually add about $6 billion in annual sales and take the retail chain's revenue past the $100 billion mark for the first time, Chief Financial Officer Douglas Scovanner said Wednesday. In January, Target announced plans to take over leases at 220 Zellers stores from owner Hudson's Bay in a deal valued at $1.83 billion, and start turning them into Target stores in 2013. National Post (Canada)/Reuters (4/6) - How Abercrombie evolved from sporting goods to teen fashion icon
Abercrombie & Fitch began in 1898 as a small waterfront store serving New York City's outdoorsy set, later branching out into sporting apparel for men and women, building a thriving catalog business and opening a 12-story Madison Avenue flagship featuring a shooting range and golf school. Sales began to wane midcentury, Oshman's acquired the brand out of a 1970s bankruptcy and efforts to resurrect it met with tepid sales until new owner Limited Brands launched a transformation from sporting goods to sexy teen fashions. The Business Insider (4/6) - Walgreen sponsors 5,000 walking events
Walgreen is encouraging shoppers to exercise by sponsoring 5,000 walking events nationwide. Consumers can earn discounts from partner brands by tracking steps online. "We're not just saying we stand for wellness in an ad; we're getting out into local communities and proving it," said Leslie Meredith, account director at Arc Worldwide, which created the program. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (4/6), Drug Store News (4/6) - Publishers cast doubt on Borders' restructuring plan
Borders officials met with creditors Wednesday to unveil a plan the company says will bring the bankrupt bookseller back to profitability by the end of the year and build online sales to 40% of total revenue by 2015, but publishers doubt it will be enough for the company to avoid liquidation. The plan calls for $30 million in rent reductions from landlords, a more efficient distribution system and a strategy to tailor merchandise mixes to the tastes of frequent shoppers. Borders also confirmed plans to move its headquarters from Ann Arbor, Mich., to the Detroit area. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (4/6), The Detroit News (4/6) - Industry watchers ponder Dish Networks' Blockbuster buy
Dish Networks' winning $320.6 million bid for bankrupt video-rental chain Blockbuster has some industry watchers expecting the satellite-TV provider to compete head-to-head with Netflix with DVD-shipping and video-streaming services, but others wonder about Dish's strategy in making the acquisition. "Blockbuster's business is a rapidly melting ice cube, and it is entirely possible that it becomes a drain on cash flow going forward," said Bernstein Research analyst Craig Moffett. The Wall Street Journal (4/7)  | 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. |
 - Malls cope with higher post-recession vacancies
Vacancy rates at malls and shopping centers in the top 80 U.S. markets rose to 9.1% from 8.7% in the first quarter of 2011, the highest level in more than a decade, according to a new report from Reis. The drop in retail tenants is due only in part to the recession, experts say, and centers face the longer-term issue of changing shopping patterns as more consumers make the shift from brick-and-mortar stores to online shopping. The Wall Street Journal (4/7) - The shopping habits of newly frugal moms
Moms drive shopping trends, and those trends have shifted in the wake of the recession, according to a survey from Totsy.com and BSM Media, which identified the emergence of the "Frugalista Mom." About 80% of moms surveyed have adopted new money-saving techniques, including using more coupons, shopping sales and shopping online members-only sales, and the majority plan to continue those habits as the economy improves. MediaPost Communications/Engage:Moms blog (4/6) - Finding plus-size fashions still proves problematic
Plus-size consumers in Canada still have to seriously hunt for designer fashions that fit their frames, and many have taken to traveling to U.S. stores and out-of-country e-commerce sites to find trendier selections. Well-known designers are still wary about creating fashions for fuller figures, a segment that took in about $1.8 billion last year compared with $6.6 billion for standard-sized clothing, but a few have caught on to the fact that there's a market clamoring for stylish looks in every size, including Stefanie Bezaire, who created an online boutique featuring plus-size fashions. Canada.com (4/6)  | There is one major thing that is holding retailers back from fully utilizing their software packages: simplicity. Learn why it's time to deliver next-gen user interfaces that will bring the consumer Web user experience to the retail enterprise, making systems easy and fun to use, bringing the store to headquarters every day, and putting merchants and vendors effectively in the same room. |
 - Trunk Club tailors its approach to today's men
Trunk Club started in 2009 as a loose network of stylists who worked on commission, consulted with their male clients via Skype and arranged for clothes to be shipped directly from wholesalers. The concept of virtual personal shoppers for men proved popular but the business model was problematic, so last year investors put Bonobos co-founder Brian Spaly in as CEO, centralized operations in Chicago and became more like a traditional online retailer. This year, Trunk Club expects to report $5 million in sales and says it's now headed toward profitability. TechCrunch (4/6) 
| NRF News | | | | - Late Easter signals longer promotions, more non-holiday sales
Due to a later Easter holiday this year, shoppers will have more time to take advantage of springtime deals. According to a recent NRF survey, Easter shoppers are expected to spend an average of $130 on everything from candy to clothes or even home and garden items. Food and candy will account for most of a consumer's budget, bringing in $2.1 billion in candy sales and $4.5 billion in food sales alone. Total spending on Easter related merchandise is expected to reach $14.6 billion. Read more. - Tips for delivering a great mobile site experience
Want to improve the quality of your mobile site? Join executives from Branding Brand and AlertSite for a STORES Knowledge Series webinar on May 5 as they discuss how mobile site functioning impacts visitor experience, actionable data you should be collecting from mobile customers and key strategies for one-upping the competition. Learn more. - NRF SmartStat: April 7, 2011
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| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Spicy Pickle picks up steam under new leadership
Denver-based Spicy Pickle was a homegrown sandwich chain with a small but loyal following that hit bumps when it went into rapid franchise-growth mode. The recession brought sales slumps and store closures, and last year the company hired franchising veteran Mark Laramie to turn things around. The growth strategy started with a focus on basics, including soliciting feedback from loyal fans about what had gone wrong with the brand and marketing efforts that paid off in increased sales and franchisee loyalty, Laramie says. FastCasual.com (4/6) | Career Track | | | |  | |  | | | | |  |  Internal IT Auditor II | Dollar General | Goodlettsville, TN | | Senior Manager, Retail Operations | Total Wine | Potomac, MD | | Merchant Opportunities at Kohl's | Kohl's | Menomonee Falls, WI | | Vice President of Supply Chain & Replenishment | Total Wine | Potomac, MD | | Sr. Manager Recruiting | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Senior Corporate Internal Auditor | PetSmart, Inc. | Phoenix, AZ | | Director of Customer Loyalty | Aeropostale | New York, NY | | Divisional Merchandise Manager- 2 positions available/Softlines and Consumables | Headquarters Marine Corps, MWR & Business Operations | Quantico, VA | | Senior Marketing Manager | Stage Stores, Inc. | Houston, TX | | Vice-President 24HourFitness.com | 24 Hour Fitness | San Ramon, CA | | Learning Solutions Manager - Southeast Region | Petsmart, Inc | Multiple Locations, United States | | Learning Solutions Manager - Northeast Region | Petsmart, Inc | Multiple Locations, United States | | Energy Manager | Tractor Supply Company | Brentwood, TN | | General Manager, Merchandise | Smithsonian Enterprises | Washington, DC | | Inventory Manager | Tractor Supply Company | Brentwood, TN | | | |  | |  |
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