| December 23, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- Weather, weekend to boost holiday home stretch
The lack of a blizzard, such as the one that kept East Coast consumers home the day after Christmas last year, extended hours at chains including Toys R Us and Macy's, and the extra Saturday for shopping this season has U.S. retailers optimistic about ending the season on a high note. Bloomberg Businessweek (12/23)       | Your job as an Exchange administrator isn't easy. You have to respond to lost messages, handle email discovery requirements, and keep everything up and running. Is there an easy way to manage your Exchange environment — and do it under budget? Learn about the challenges faced by three real organizations, and how using the right solution brought them peace of mind. |
 - Apple plans new prototype store in Palo Alto
Planners in Palo Alto, Calif., say Apple will start construction soon on a new store prototype on property about a block away from one of the company's original retail stores. The 15,030-square-foot store, which will replace the earlier model, will be topped by a curved glass roof to fill the space with natural light, according to plans filed with the city. San Jose Mercury News (Calif.) (free registration) (12/22) - IKEA builds a new London neighborhood
A unit of the company that owns Swedish furniture giant IKEA is developing a 26-acre neighborhood in East London, with 1,200 homes, a 350-room hotel and enough shops, restaurants and offices to ensure that residents will be able to run errands on foot. CNBC (12/22)  | GREAT HAPPENS IN threes AT HYATT.
3% REBATE. TRIPLE HYATT GOLD PASSPORT® BONUS POINTS. COMPLIMENTARY INTERNET. Book your qualifying meeting by 12/31/2011 and hold by 3/31/2012 to take advantage of this special offer. To book your next meeting, contact your Hyatt Sales Representative and reference offer code REWARDS or go to hyattmeetings.com/REWARDS. |
  - Who shops after midnight?
Macy's and other merchants that made the decision to keep stores open all night in the season's final shopping days aren't seeing huge crowds after midnight, but they're winning media buzz, pleasing consumers whose schedules don't allow for daytime shopping and allowing staffers who volunteer for the shift to restock shelves for the next day, industry experts say. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)/Reuters (12/22) - Retailers tweak merchandise mix to meet local needs
Chains including Macy's and Wal-Mart are taking a regional approach to the merchandise mix to better meet the needs of each store's local shoppers. "Retailers really have to home in on what will get (shoppers) to spend. In giving them more of what's important to them, you'll get more of their dollars," said retail strategist Alison Jatlow-Levy. USA TODAY (12/22)  | Which retailers are winning with better customer engagement?
Aberdeen’s connected store survey shows how top-performing retailers are boosting profits by personalizing the shopping experience, and what other retailers are doing to catch up. This White Paper provides a practical roadmap for what Aberdeen identifies as a fundamental transformation in retailing. Today, it’s yours at no cost! Download your copy now! |
 - Retailers resist smartphone shopping apps
With 44% of shoppers owning smartphones, per Nielsen, some brick-and-mortar retailers are resisting applications that allow shoppers to easily compare prices and buy products elsewhere. Amazon.com took it up a notch, offering coupons as an inducement to check prices, forcing Best Buy to match Amazon prices on many items through its own online portals. Other stores, such as Brookstone, designate items as exclusively branded to the store so the apps can't directly compare them. The Wall Street Journal (12/23)  | Consumer Insights Your Brand Needs to Know: Latest Trends in Behavioral Advertising
Learn what brand managers, advertisers, as well as networks, agencies, and publishers need to know about consumer survey insights into behavioral ad serving, also known as interest-based advertising. Learn more today! |
 - A Startup Store aims to tell compelling stories
A Startup Store in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood will change its theme, design and product mix every four to six weeks. Founder Rachel Shechtman says consumers in the digital age are craving a physical place to interact while shopping among collections that tell compelling stories and offer a fair number of surprises. FastCompany.com (12/21)  | Just announced — ChannelAdvisor’s 2012 US Catalyst Conference will be held at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on April 16-18, 2012. Join representatives from all major online channels and leading retailers at the most valuable e-commerce conference of the year. Register today. |
| NRF News |  |  | | - Maximize online post-holiday sales with search and social media
Historically, the days immediately following Christmas have been intense shopping periods for consumers looking to take advantage of sales, return items that weren't quite right or spend those gift cards. In a recent post on the Shop.org blog, Head of Research Fiona Swerdlow shares four tips on how to be prepared on Dec. 26 to maximize online sales following the holiday season. Read more. Shop.org Blog (12/22) - How Aéropostale boosts associate morale—and sales follow
Customer experience is the difference between what a customer expects and what is delivered. In an upcoming session at Retail's BIG Show, Jan. 15-18 in New York City, Julie Sedlock, group vice president of store operations for Aéropostale, will present how the company leverages mobile technology to improve both the customer experience and associate morale. Learn more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - How is Wendy's winning against Burger King?
Wendy's interviewed more than 10,000 customers over an 18-month period, work that led to the reinvention of its core menu and placed the third-largest quickservice chain on a path to overtake second-place Burger King, analysts say. Burger innovations, revamped fries, higher-end coffee drinks and new salads are helping the chain gain market share. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (12/22)  | |  | | The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
Join Heartland Payment Systems at the 101st Annual NRF Convention and EXPO, Jan. 15-18, in New York City and meet with two of the biggest names in retail and security — David Hogan and John South. Learn how to develop programs that help simplify payments, while focusing on innovation and delivering the highest degree of data security available. To schedule an appointment click here.
Interested in learning more about advertising with SmartBrief? Click here for detailed industry information and media kits.  | |  | |  |
| Editor's Note | | | | - SmartBrief will not publish Monday
In observance of Christmas, SmartBrief will not publish Monday, Dec. 26. Publication will resume Tuesday. Enjoy the holiday! | |  | | Position Title | Company Name | Location | | Buyer | Jeans Warehouse | Honolulu, HI | | Footwear Buyer | Forman Mills | Pennsauken, NJ | | Mens Sweater Buyer | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | HR Analyst (HR Metrics) | Petsmart, Inc | Phoenix, AZ | | VP Retail | Delaware North Companies - Corporate Office | Buffalo, NY | | Buyer - Maternity/Petite Sportswear | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Regional Manager | Aspen Dental | Tampa, FL | | Senior Buyer, Fine Jewelry | Kohl's Department Stores | Milwaukee, WI | | Buyer - Shoes | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Assistant (Associate) Buyers - Brick & Mortar and Ecommerce | Kohl's Department Stores | Milwaukee, WI | | Manager, Brand Marketing & Public Relations | La-Z-Boy | Monroe, MI | | VP DMM Ladies Shoes | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Visual Merchandising Manager | Castle Megastore | Tempe, AZ | | Associate Buyer - Procurement Services | Petsmart, Inc | Phoenix, AZ | | Regional Zone Manager | Spirit Halloween | Paramus, NJ | | Mens Buyer | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | VP DMM Boys | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Logistics 3PL Manager | Spencer Gifts/Spirit Halloween | Egg Harbor Township, NJ | | | Click here to view more job listings. | | |
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--Charles Dickens,
British author  |
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- Friday, December 16, 2011
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More than half of Americans say they'd like to receive a gift card this holiday season. Source: 
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