| February 15, 2012 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- Whole Foods working to expand its socioeconomic appeal
Whole Foods is looking to alter its reputation, aiming to appeal to less affluent clientele with new, smaller stores. The Austin, Texas-based chain finds its reputation for pricey, organic foods a disadvantage in a diverse market and hopes the new stores will accelerate growth throughout the country. The Wall Street Journal (2/14)      - Urban Outfitters opens Chicago bridal boutique
Urban Outfitters has expanded its fledgling bridal brand, BHLDN, with the opening of a two-story boutique on Chicago's Gold Coast this week. The shop melds nostalgic touches such as decor that resembles a nineteenth-century European townhouse with modern features, including iPod docking stations in the dressing rooms. Chicago Tribune (2/14) - "Fashion Star" strategy plays off Target plan
NBC's new show "Fashion Star" will give unknown designers and boutique owners the chance to impress celebrity judges and get their creations into Macy's, Saks and H&M stores literally overnight. The show mirrors a new Target strategy to move beyond celebrity partnerships to create in-store shops run by small business owners with compelling products and stories. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) (2/14) - Saks launches new casual fashion brand
Saks Fifth Avenue has launched 9|15, a collection of knits and vests, skinny cargos and stone-washed henleys that aim to bring runway style to casual wear, the company said. The line is named for the date the upscale retailer was founded 88 years ago. Retailing Today (free registration) (2/14) - Avon seeks executive for CEO spot
Avon Products reportedly has approached HSN chief executive Mindy Grossman as a possible replacement for longtime CEO Andrea Jung, who announced in December that she would leave the post after a replacement had been found. Grossman joined HSN in 2006 after stints at Nike and Polo Jeans, and took the multichannel retailer public in 2008. The Wall Street Journal (2/15)  | Inventory Optimization for the Consumer Products Industry
A big question for consumer products companies is how to efficiently manage working capital that is often tied up in inventory. Read this solution brief to learn how inventory optimization can facilitate coordinated, integrated and multi-echelon inventory planning, improving turns and service levels while freeing working capital. |
 | Retail trends |  |  | | - Secrets of the top customer service associates
Bad experiences have some consumers going out of their way to avoid dealing with sales people, according to a 2009 study, but sales people who ask the right questions and connect with their customers can spell a store's success. Some top-sellers reveal their secrets in this story, including Nordstrom associate Chris Sharma, the chain's top sales person for the past 10 years. The Wall Street Journal (2/15) - 8 products counterfeiters fake most often
Brand-name apparel tops the list of most-counterfeited products, but the image of knockoff designer duds is just the tip of the iceberg, says Bill Patterson of OpSec Security. Criminals are counterfeiting a wide range of products, potentially putting consumers in danger with fake versions of medications, tobacco products and perfumes, he says. TheStreet.com (2/14)  | The Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN
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  - Should your brand take an interest in Pinterest?
Large numbers of consumers are discovering Pinterest, a social site that lets users post and share images of their favorite things, and the site is now driving more traffic to U.S. e-commerce sites than Google+, according to one study. Retailers from American Eagle to World Market have created a presence on Pinterest, posting pretty product pictures aimed at driving site traffic, sales and word-of-mouth. Shop.org Blog (2/15)  | 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! |
 - Use experimentation to optimize your e-mail marketing
You can improve your e-mail marketing efforts and make them as effective as possible by testing different versions of your opt-in forms and marketing messages, writes A.J. Kumar. "Even small improvements in open and click-through rates can make a significant difference in the ROI for your email marketing." E-mail marketers should focus more on building relationships than making sales pitches, he writes. Entrepreneur.com (2/13)  | Learn Customer Engagement Best Practices from Aberdeen!
Aberdeen Group’s recent research on customer intelligence and engagement strategies reveals what today’s leading retailers are doing to gain insight into the mindshare of their customers, respond to their elevated expectations, and strengthen customer centricity. This $399 report is yours free! Download your copy now! |
| NRF News | | | | - Customer interaction and experience is top strategic priority for retailers in 2012
As customer engagement and segmentation become more synchronous, retailers e-commerce platforms are serving as the backbone for trying to achieve one-to-one customer interaction. A just-released report from the NRF Foundation and KPMG, "Retail Horizons: Benchmarks for 2011, Forecasts for 2012," surveyed 247 retail executives to determine their strategic initiatives entering 2012. It's no surprise that 7 in 10 companies rank customer satisfaction as their top priority for this year -- but more interestingly, retail executives are refining their approach to their online audiences, illustrating the importance of Web personalization. Read more. - Best practices for leveraging customer intelligence
Business owners can conduct surveys and studies on end, but it’s the strategic implementation of this data that creates positive results for your bottom line. In a STORES Knowledge Series webinar tomorrow, Feb. 16, Home Depot Canada shares insights on how they have used customer data to overhaul their customer intelligence strategy and identify exact needs for each store location. Register or learn more. - NRF CEO meets with NYC business and civic leaders today
As part of NRF's Retail Means Jobs road show, President and CEO Matthew Shay addressed New York City business, civic and government leaders today, emphasizing the significant role the retail industry plays in powering our economy at all levels. "Nowhere is retail's impact felt greater than in the famed streets and historic storefronts of New York City," said Shay. "Along with being the world's financial hub, New York is also an important international center for retail, travel, shopping and fashion. It is only appropriate that NRF bring its Retail Means Jobs road show to the Big Apple to tout retail's economic contribution." Read more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Desire for healthy options fuels growth at Energy Kitchen
Energy Kitchen plans to add 21 new locations this year and expects to expand to about 1,000 eateries in the next 10 years by feeding a growing consumer demand for healthier dining-out options. The chain, which launched in 2003 and now has 13 eateries in three states, doesn't serve any dishes with more than 500 calories. "I think Americans want to eat healthy. There are just no options out there," said co-founder and CEO Anthony Leone. The Business Insider (2/14) | |  | | Position Title | Company Name | Location | | Email Marketing Manager | Golfsmith | Austin, TX | | Buyer, Petites | Stein Mart | Jacksonville, FL | | Vice President of Human Resources | Teavana | Atlanta, GA | | Retail Systems Implementation Consultant | The Parker Avery Group | Atlanta, GA | | Footwear Buyer | Big 5 Sporting Goods | El Segundo, CA | | VP, Division Planning Manager | The Bon Ton Stores, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | | Retail Management | Total Wine & More | Seattle, WA | | General Manager | Saks Fifth Avenue | Short Hills, NJ | | Demand Planner | Staples, Inc. | Framingham, MA | | Retail Communications and Operations Manager | Hanna Andersson LLC | Portland, OR | | DVP Spirit Halloween Marketing, Licensing & Creative Services | Spirit Halloween | Egg Harbor Township, NJ | | Sr. Director, Store Planning and Construction | Spencer Gifts/Spirit Halloween | Egg Harbor Township, NJ | | Analyst - CRM Forecasting and Reporting | American Eagle Outfitters | Pittsburgh, PA | | Assistant General Manager of Merchandising (AGMM) | Saks Fifth Avenue | Hackensack, NJ | | Manager, Financial Planning and Analysis | Spencer Gifts | Egg Harbor Township, NJ | | Merchandise Planner | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Marketing Director -- Indianapolis | Saks Fifth Avenue | Indianapolis, IN | | National Advertising Sales Manager | Intent Media | New York City , NY | | Maintenance Associate | Rooms To Go | Charlotte, NC | | The North Face: Customer Relationship Management Manager | The North Face | San Leandro, CA | | Divisional Planner | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Senior Marketing Strategy & Loyalty Consultant | Alliance Data | Columbus, OH | | VP Customer Strategy | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Senior Product Manager | dunnhumby | Cincinnati, OH | | Vice President of eCommerce | The Vitamin Shoppe | North Bergen , NJ | | | Click here to view more job listings. | | |
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