Banana Republic to open first store in Paris

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August 30, 2011 News for the retail industry   Industry Watch    Lowe's streamlines organizational structure Lowe's announced plans to make structural changes to help streamline operations and boost sales. The home-improvement chain plans to shift from promotions to "everyday low pricing," add more products on its e-commerce site, and streamline its merchandising and operational divisions to become more nimble. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model)/Dow Jones Newswires (8/29), Home Channel News (8/29)      How Abercrombie is pushing past the back-to-school competition Abercrombie & Fitch has been leading with teens shopping for back-to-school clothes and likely will stay ahead of other chains during the holidays, analysts say. Abercrombie has been gaining the lead since shifting to a more promotional pricing strategy, and deep discounts early in the back-to-school season gave it an additional edge. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model)/Dow Jones Newswires (8/29)      Banana Republic to open first store in Paris Gap plans to open a 16,000 square-foot Paris flagship for its Banana Republic brand in December. Gap already operates about 40 of its namesake stores in the country, the company's fourth largest European market. American City Business Journals/San Francisco (8/28), Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (8/29)      Other News Tiffany & Co. to open 17 new stores by the end of January Display & Design Ideas (8/29)      Saks to add 5 Off Fifth outlet stores next year Crain's New York Business/The Associated Press (8/29)      Who Is Buying Your Products? Whether it’s women’s clothing, electronics, or auto parts, Esri® Business Analyst OnlineSM identifies the consumer segments that buy your products and reveals where your customers live. Business Analyst Online even includes market potential data that identifies areas that are underserved. Learn more about your customers with a free 14-day trial.   Retail trends    Hurricane Irene may prove a mixed retail blessing Home improvement chains and discounters selling emergency supplies and coffee shops providing sustenance to clean-up workers are likely to see a post-Irene bump in their sales, while apparel merchants and department stores on the Eastern Seaboard might struggle to make up sales lost during the storm, retail experts say. Retailers closed hundreds of stores during the storm, and some, including Macy's, Walmart and Target, had stores that remained closed on Monday. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (8/30), Bloomberg Businessweek (8/29)      Storm wipes out back-to-school opportunities: Hurricane Irene did little physical damage to retail stores, but the storm fell during a peak back-to-school shopping season, and for many that business may be lost forever. "Even if you are not a back-to-school store, you still have a lost sales opportunity and you may never make that up," said NRF's Joe LaRocca. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (8/29)      Police arrest 4 in Dallas-area retail theft ring Police from Dallas and Denton, Texas, arrested four suspects and recovered merchandise worth at least $300,000 that had been stolen from area stores. Officials say the organized retail crime ring bought products -- everything from Tide detergent to Aeropostale clothes -- and resold it at flea markets. NBC.com/Dallas/Ft. Worth (8/28)      Other News Li & Fung targets China as part of worldwide growth strategy Bloomberg Businessweek (8/29)      Your customers move fast. Can your POS keep up? Today's shoppers are fully connected, highly informed, omni-channel and fast — and they expect nothing less of you! Learn how mobility can meet their demands by enabling richer engagement, instant information, seamless service and enhanced functionality. This new RTP White Paper explains your options and opportunities. Get your free copy now!   Retail Technology    Survey: Which retailers are best at cross-channel marketing? Slightly more than 1 in 10 retailers have the tools to check an online order in-store, and just over half are using "collaborative filtering" to offer customized suggestions for their shoppers, a survey found. Best Buy, Sears and Target are the most successful at cross-channel sales, according to the research. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (8/29)      Learn about key HR areas that all entrepreneurs will face Entrepreneurial execs know that they need to follow the rules, but they may not realize which decisions will lead to the two vital components that help keep HR costs low. The following paper will focus on minimizing human capital expenses in four key areas. Download the white paper, An Executive’s Guide to Cutting HR Costs to learn more.   Main Street    Congress to consider more small-business lending for credit unions Credit unions are ramping up their lobbying efforts in support of legislation that would allow them to increase their lending to small businesses to 27.5% of their total assets. Credit unions would have to meet requirements such as being well-capitalized and being near the current cap. A number of co-sponsors have signed on to congressional bills to raise the cap, but banking lobbies oppose the efforts. Credit Union Times (8/31)      Other News 6 rules for good communication during a disaster Fox Business Small Business Center (8/26)      White Paper: The Sustainability Advantage in CPG — Accelerating Success with Eco-Design. Learn how CPG manufacturers, private label providers and retailers can gain valuable time and a competitive edge by developing and executing a cohesive sustainability strategy across the enterprise, leveraging PLM. Download it now.   Policy & Government Affairs  Starbucks CEO's anti-gridlock campaign grows Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz's push to boycott campaign contributions until Congress and the president work out a debt deal gained momentum as contributors took the pledge. A Facebook page for the growing movement showed 1,750 had signed on as of Monday, including the CEOs of J.C. Penney and Whole Foods. The Dallas Morning News (free content) (8/29)      Mississippi lawmaker launches anti-counterfeiting website The Mississippi Intellectual Property Crime Center launched Monday, with the first statewide website where consumers who have observed sales of counterfeit products can report the details to law enforcement officials. Law enforcement agencies are making inroads, but technology has made it tougher by giving counterfeiters the ability to create near-perfect fakes, said NRF's Joe LaRocca. The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Miss.) (8/29)        Sponsored Content    4 Lies Business Owners Tell Themselves Julie Rains Goodnight Irene: The Silver Lining Of Preparing For Disaster Barry Moltz Infographic: The Social Network Decision Tree Guy Kawasaki Self-Absorbed Marketing: Are You Asking About Customers Or About You? Liz Strauss Don't Hire People Who Went To Grad School Penelope Trunk   NRF News  Give us 15 minutes. Win an iPad. Survey collection for Retail Horizons, NRF's illustrious industry benchmarking report, is under way. Retail department heads, take 15 minutes to complete your section of the survey by Oct. 7 and you'll be entered to win an iPad. Retailers who complete the report will also receive a customized company report with key metrics to compare their company against the industry standard. Learn more.      NRF SmartStat: Aug. 30, 2011 Of any retailer on the STORES Hot 100, Amazon.com has had the highest total growth between 2005 and 2010. Source: STORES Hot 100.        Shoppers are evolving. Are you adapting? Armed with smartphones and Internet access, shoppers are smarter and more informed than ever. Is your retail experience compelling enough to create brand ambassadors? In a Sept. 8 STORES Knowledge Series webinar, executives from IDC Retail Insights and ARTS, the Association for Retail Technology Standards, will review the latest and greatest in retail technology innovations that are transforming the way retailers measure success. Register or learn more.      Learn more about NRF -> Join NRF  |  Govt Relations  |  NRF Events  |  STORES  |  NRF Foundation   Chain Restaurant News  Boston Market's new look encourages guests to linger Boston Market's revamped restaurants feature everything from real plates and silverware to chefs dressed in whites. The revamp is aimed at boosting in-store dining, and stores that have undergone the change report double-digit sales and traffic growth, the company says. QSRMagazine.com (8/29)      Position Title Company Name Location Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Forman Mills Pennsauken, NJ VP of Facility Management and Support AAFES Dallas, TX Various Retail Opportunities within Deloitte Consulting LLP Multiple Locations, United States Sales Associates- Saks Fifth Avenue Palm Desert, CA Saks Fifth Avenue Palm Desert, CA Product Creative Design - Manager/Specialist Cabela's Sidney, NE Program/Engagement Manager The Yacobian Group Boston, MA Marketing Director Saks Fifth Avenue San Francisco, CA Merchandise Planner Kohl's Department Stores Menomonee Falls, WI Assistant Buyer Kohl's Department Store Menomonee Falls, WI Corporate Counsel - Employment Law Ross Stores Pleasanton, CA SALES ASSOCIATE SAKS FIFTH AVENUE NAPLES, FL San Antonio Sales Associate Career Days! Saks Fifth Avenue San Antonio, TX IT Business Analyst - eComm / Internet Marketing Academy Sports & Outdoors Katy, TX Director of Stores A'GACI, LLC San Antonio, TX Merchandise Buyer Kohl's Department Stores Milwaukee/Menomonee Falls, WI Senior Wine Buyer Total Wine & More Potomac, MD Regional Visual Trainer Victoria's Secret Dallas/Houston, TX Fashion Buyer Target Minneapolis, MN Director of eCommerce Technology Moosejaw Madison Heights, MI Sr. Internet Buyer Tween Brands Direct, LLC New Albany, OH Loss Prevention Exception Reporting Manager Stein Mart Jacksonville, Florida, FL Sales Associates - Saks Fifth Avenue - Career Fair - Chevy Chase, MD Saks Fifth Avenue Chevy Chase, MD Click here to view more job listings.   SmartQuote  If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in five years there'd be a shortage of sand." --Milton Friedman, American economist and Nobel Prize recipient        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 Grab our News Widget Publish your Press Release   Advertise Associate Publisher:  Susan W. 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