  | August 3, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
| Industry Watch |  |  | | - Target turns to designer exclusives to drive sales
Target has signed an exclusive deal for a line of children's clothing from singer Gwen Stefani, as part of a push to replicate its success more than a decade ago with exclusive lines of tea kettles and home goods from architect and designer Michael Graves. The 1999 deal pioneered the current department store trend of adding more signature collections that shoppers can't find anywhere else. Reuters (8/2)      - Target launches new digital tools for back-to-school shoppers: Target has introduced several new digital tools aimed at boosting back-to-school sales, including digital coupons, customizable shopping lists and prepaid "care package" cards friends and families can send to help college students buy what they need. MediaPost Communications/MarketingDaily (8/2)
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  | Spotlight on Location Data | |  | | |  | - Location data can help retailers speak to their ideal customers
 Instead of marketing to a general audience, some of which might not be receptive to their products, retail businesses can use location data to tailor their pitches to a specific customer segment. Businesses "can look at a market now and understand who is living there, and understand now based on the data ... how to target them," said Amy Wilde of MarketStar. Location data can also be a valuable tool for marketers deciding which retailers are best suited to carry their products. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (8/3)  | Residents of Top Rung neighborhoods are always in style, preferring to shop at retailers such as Nordstrom and Macy's. They also shop online and are avid readers. How can you find this type of customer? Esri Business Analyst Online enables you to identify your best customers and find more like them. Check out the free Esri ZIP Code Lookup tool. | - Outlet centers aren't skimping on the service
Bargain-hunting shoppers are heading to outlet centers in search of the best deals, but they still expect the service levels they find at traditional malls, and a growing number of centers are obliging. Retailers are investing more to improve outlet-store designs and stepping up staffing to boost personalized service, such as the recent men's sale at Saks Fifth Avenue's Off Fifth, which offered shoppers the chance to meet with an associate before the event and select items that were held until the sale started. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (8/1) - Smaller spaces have big appeal for retailers
Both retailers and restaurants have begun opening smaller stores, often in urban areas. Wal-Mart recently opened its first Wal-Mart Express store that is a tenth the size of a Wal-Mart Supercenter, and the Sweet Tomatoes restaurant chain is testing a smaller Sweet Tomatoes Express format. The Tampa Tribune (Fla.) (8/3)  - Back-to-school shoppers take control with price-comparison apps
Back-to-school shoppers armed with smartphones aren't shy about using them to shop around while in a store, and retailers are finding ways to fight back, including stocking more one-of-a-kind items. "The comparison-shopping apps are good for commodity items, like comparing the price on Nike shoes at different retailers, but retailers who focus on their own private-label brands do better," said NRF's Ellen Davis. DailyFinance.com (8/2) - How iPads can give more control back to retailers
Merchants make a mistake when they think of iPads and other tablets as just another mobile device, said Siva Kumar, CEO of price-comparison site TheFind. Tablets' larger screens give consumers a greater ability to browse, much like they do on laptops and PCs, and they offer retailers the potential to focus the shopper's attention on products instead prices, Kumar said. CNBC/Consumer Nation blog (8/2)  | Main Street | | | | - Column: 5 myths about the five-finger discount
 Is shoplifting a compulsive act, a behavior born of need or a cold, calculated crime? This author aims to clear up five myths about retail theft, starting with the belief that it began with the first shopping mall -- in fact, retail theft has been around since the days of Shakespeare. Need isn't the likely culprit most of the time, given that the list of items most often stolen from stores includes a weight-loss drug, cellphones and Rogaine, according to NRF data. The Washington Post (8/2)
| NRF News | | | | - The fastest-growing retail companies have one thing in common, editor says
What do the hottest retailers in the country have in common? In a recent blog post, STORES Editor Susan Reda takes a deeper dive into the commonalities of retail companies on STORES Magazine's recently released Hot 100 listing. "Call me old-fashioned but I believe that retail success begins with understanding customers and catering to them," she writes. "The hallmark of a fast-growing retailer is always going to be rooted in a keen awareness of the customer and a willingness to do whatever it takes to make her happy." Read more. - NRF SmartStat: Aug. 3, 2011
 Over half of men surveyed said they planned to buy electronics or computer-related equipment for back to college. Source: NRF survey conducted by BIGresearch. - Container Store CEO: The best and brightest students should be choosing retail careers
The Container Store CEO Kip Tindell believes that "retail is the best profession out there" and is beginning a campaign to ensure that more students think of retailing when choosing a career path. In a letter to retailers, Tindell encourages companies to partner with the NRF Foundation to connect skilled, motivated workers with employers who need them. "It's up to people like me and you to partner with the NRF Foundation in positioning a career in retail as one filled with tremendous opportunity, innovation and excitement," he writes. Learn more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Mrs. Fields brews a coffee plan
Mrs. Fields, which once had hundreds of stores, declared bankruptcy in 2008. Led by Timothy Casey, who worked five years at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and 10 years at Starbucks, the chain has 280 locations and is testing a broader menu that will focus on specialty coffees. Chicago Tribune (8/3)  | |  | | | | |  |  Director, Safety and Health | OfficeMax | Naperville, IL | | Director of eCommerce Technology | Moosejaw | Madison Heights, MI | | Sales Associate | Saks Fifth Avenue | Phoenix, AZ | | Sales Associate | Saks Fifth Avenue- San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA | | Loss Prevention Exception Reporting Manager | Stein Mart | Jacksonville, Florida, FL | | Sales & Education Executive | Napoleon Perdis Cosmetics | Nationwide, United States | | Business Analyst | Five Below, Inc. | Philadelphia, PA | | District Manager | Five Below, Inc. | Philadelphia, PA | | Fashion Buyer | Target | Minneapolis, MN | | Sales Associate | UNIQLO | Manhattan, NY | | IT Opportunities | Belk Inc. | Charlotte, NC | | Manager, Product Training | Samsung Electronics America, Inc | Ridgefield Park, NJ | | Senior Retail Marketing Advertising Manager | Cabela's | Sidney, NE | | Store Manager - Bealls | Bealls | Orlando, FL | | SALES ASSOCIATES AND BEAUTY SPECIALISTS | SAKS FIFTH AVENUE | STAMFORD, CT | | SALES ASSOCIATES AND SALES SUPPORT ASSOCIATES | SAKS FIFTH AVENUE | HUNTINGTON STATION, LONG ISLAND, NY | | SALES ASSOCIATES | SAKS FIFTH AVENUE | TROY, MI | | Business Services Specialist | Headquarters, Marine Corps Community Services | Quantico, VA | | | |  | |  |
| SmartQuote | | | |  | I've made an odd discovery. Every time I talk to a savant I feel quite sure that happiness is no longer a possibility. Yet when I talk with my gardener, I'm convinced of the opposite."
--Bertrand Russell,
British philosopher and mathematician  |
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