| February 13, 2012 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- Consumers fueled recovery in January
Retail sales likely rose between 0.8% and 1% in January, the biggest increase in four months, according to economist estimates in advance of a Commerce Department report due out Tuesday. Consumer spending, which accounts for two-thirds of U.S. economic growth, will be a key driver of economic recovery, economists say. Bloomberg (2/12), MarketWatch (2/12)       | Do you know what global consumers are buying? What product categories do they prefer? What do they value most in their shopping experience? And how do they differ from country to country? Pitney Bowes Ecommerce Solutions conducted a global survey polling consumers in ten countries including Canada, UK, Australia, China, Japan and Brazil. Download the white paper here. | - Market of Choice makes green commitments
Oregon-based Market of Choice has made a commitment to cut energy usage by 15% to 20%, through a combination of investments in technology, employee sustainability training and routine equipment maintenance. "We'll spend the extra money up front to get the most efficient stores and reduce the stores' demand for energy," said Rick Wright, CEO of the eight-store chain. STORES magazine (2/2012) - Safeway plans sustainable sourcing for canned tuna
Safeway said it will transition by year-end to a source using the sustainable purse-seine method of fishing for tuna in its chunk light canned tuna. "We have always felt that the Safeway brand is the best-tasting canned tuna product," said Joe Ennen, senior vice president of consumer brands. "Now we're excited to offer that same superior quality from a source that is more sustainable and eco-friendly." Progressive Grocer (2/10)  | 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! |
 - Police, retailers band together to fight rising theft rates
Property crimes are on the rise, including shoplifting, which has morphed into an organized retail theft industry as criminals steal to meet consumers' growing demand for lower-priced goods, says NRF's Joseph LaRocca. "We hear a lot about the economy and in almost every shoplifter case, somebody will come up with a rationalization -- I lost my job, whatever. But the reality is that people are stealing for greed, not need," said LaRocca. Press-Telegram (Long Beach, Calif.) (2/11) - Fashions get fiercer for fall
Designers sent models down New York Fashion Week runways in fitted styles and fierce footwear, fall looks that are in sharp contrast to the flowing, feminine spring styles in stores now. Designers took inspirations from menswear and military styles, and some collections are heavy on leather, python prints and textured fabrics. The Washington Post/The Associated Press (2/12)  | 10 Principles for Building an Effective Human Capital Plan
The Human Capital Plan is an important tool that organizations use to drive focused actions that can ensure goal achievement and business success. It allows organizations to assess, plan for, and respond proactively to its human capital challenges and needs. Download the white paper to learn more. |
 | Retail Technology |  |  | | - PayPal vows to compete with credit cards at retail stores
PayPal executive Don Kingsborough said he plans to push PayPal into retail stores and go toe-to-toe with Visa, MasterCard and American Express, possibly subsidizing some of the service so retailers can pay less for PayPal than it does for other credit and debit processors. In addition, PayPal will share consumer purchasing and shopping practices, he said. "We are going to do it with the greatest brands in the world -- Home Depot and every other top-100 retailer," Kingsborough said. "There isn't a major brand who we haven't talked to." Reuters (2/10)  | Deloitte Consumer Products Executive Webcast:
Cloud computing trends in the consumer products industry
11:00am – 12:00pm EST on February 14
Join this webcast for a discussion on how consumer products companies are adopting cloud computing and the technology and business benefits such as: scalability, lower fixed costs, data sharing and collaboration and many others. Register. |
 | Main Street | | | | - Small merchants invest in Square
Small merchants end up paying a disproportionately higher amount in bank card charges because they're calculated based on sales volume, says NRF's Craig Shearman. Many are turning to mobile options such as Square, which attaches to iPads and other devices and charges a flat 2.75% fee per transaction. The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne, Ind.) (2/12)  | Earn 2X rewards points on gasoline purchases with The New Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN. Designed to earn Membership Rewards® points faster:
• 3X points on airfare
• 2X points on advertising, gas, shipping
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LEARN MORE AND APPLY |
  | Hot Topics | | | | Top five news stories selected by NRF SmartBrief readers in the past week. - Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.
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| NRF News | | | | - Retailers (and families) benefit from the Code Adam program
Children's safety measures have been streamlined in many retail stores across the U.S. over recent decades, and the improvements have shown results. In a recent post on Retail's BIG Blog, Joe LaRocca recaps a frightening story from a Georgia-area Wal-Mart last week and how Wal-Mart is one of 22,000 retailers in the U.S. utilizing the Code Adam alert program -- a free and powerful search tool for lost and possibly abducted children. Read more. Retail's BIG Blog (2/10) - Men to spend twice as much as women this Valentine's Day
The holiday of love is only a day away, and Americans plan to show their affection in record numbers this year. According to NRF's 2012 Valentine's Day survey conducted by BIGinsight, the average male is expected to spend $168 on clothing, jewelry, greeting cards and more this year -- almost twice as much as women, who are expected to spend an average of $85.76. Total spending for the holiday is expected to reach $17.6 billion. Read more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Italy inspired Starbucks but still has no stores
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz got his inspiration for the global coffee company's signature shops on a 1983 business trip to Milan. Today, Starbucks boasts shops in cities and towns around the world and it continues to add new markets, but the chain hasn't opened a single shop in Italy, where the local shops abound and the coffee culture is firmly established. Bloomberg Businessweek (2/9) | |  | | Position Title | Company Name | Location | | Email Marketing Manager | Golfsmith | Austin, TX | | Retail Systems Implementation Consultant | The Parker Avery Group | Atlanta, GA | | Footwear Buyer | Big 5 Sporting Goods | El Segundo, CA | | Merchandising Director | Stein Mart | New York, NY | | VP, Division Planning Manager | The Bon Ton Stores, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | | Retail Management | Total Wine & More | Seattle, WA | | Retail Communications and Operations Manager | Hanna Andersson LLC | Portland, OR | | Corporate Counsel | Meijer | Grand Rapids, MI | | Senior Manager, Manhattan WMS Applications | PEAPOD | Lake Zurich, IL | | Assistant General Manager of Merchandising (AGMM) | Saks Fifth Avenue | Hackensack, NJ | | Manager, Financial Planning and Analysis | Spencer Gifts | Egg Harbor Township, NJ | | Visual Merchandiser Manager | Castle Megastore Group | Tempe, AZ | | 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 | | Merchandise Planner/Distributor | Navy Exchange Service Command | Virginia Beach, VA | | 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 | | Database Marketing Manager | West Marine | Watsonville, CA | | AVP - Product Development | West Marine | Watsonville, CA | | 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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