J. Crew promotes senior finance executive to CFO post

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April 27, 2012 News for the retail industry   Top Story    CEO's Apple store epiphany inspires J.C. Penney's strategy Changes at J.C. Penney stores under CEO Ron Johnson have their roots in an epiphany Johnson had while planning the first Apple store. Johnson's plan to merchandise Apple's gadgets according to customer lifestyle rather than product category is mirrored in Penney's ongoing transformation aimed at appealing to younger customers, writes Walter Loeb. Forbes (4/26)      Which do you choose: Customer frustration…or channel integration? Today's consumers expect to shop the way technology lets them work and live: easily, efficiently and seamlessly across channels. Aberdeen's 2012 Analyst Insight on the Omni-Channel Retail Experience explains how your competitors make that happen – and how you can too! This $399 value is now yours free. Download the report now!   Industry Watch    Costco expands successful mortgage test Costco will begin rolling out a full-service mortgage program on its website, in partnership with 11 banks, and start promoting the program to members in stores and in its weekly publication. Costco's partners have made about 10,000 mortgages to members during a multi-year test of the program. CNNMoney (4/26)      J. Crew promotes senior finance executive to CFO post J. Crew Group has named Stuart Haselden as its new chief financial officer, replacing James Scully, who remains on as executive vice president and chief administrative officer. Haselden has served as senior vice president of finance and treasurer since 2009. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (4/26)      Cost-conscious fashion fans drive sales growth at Ross Ross Stores has seen sales rise steadily since the recession hit, as cost-conscious consumers sought more affordable ways to indulge their love of designer fashions, analysts say. Investor's Business Daily (4/26)      Other News J.C. Penney hires former Apple executive to oversee store remodels Reuters (4/26)      Publix pilots paperless coupons The Tampa Tribune (Fla.) (4/26)      Tax season can be tough. The IRS has increased the time it spends auditing small businesses by 30%. This free white paper brought to you by American Express OPEN, will help you learn how to navigate changes in tax legislation, leverage often overlooked deductions and strategize for the coming years. Download your free white paper, What Every Small Business Owner Needs To Know For Tax Season.   Retail Trends    Luxury sector rises as U.S. recovers, new markets emerge A combination of a return to spending by wealthy U.S. consumers and increasing wealth in emerging markets bodes well for the luxury apparel sector, experts say. "Our optimistic outlook is reflected in our plan to expand our editorial coverage of this particular category over the next year by introducing a new front-of-book section devoted to style," said Brett Anderson, editor in chief of The Robb Report. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (4/26)      On the Internet, page-loading delays can stop customers from buying. Download our free report 3 Proven Ways to Boost Transactions with Web Acceleration and learn how Limelight Network's front-end acceleration technology can improve Time to Actions.   Retail Technology    Walmart.com adds cash-payment option Walmart.com launched Pay With Cash, an option that lets customers order online and pay with cash at a bricks-and-mortar store. Only 15% of Wal-Mart Stores' in-store transactions are done by credit card, indicating a need for a cash-payment option, said Walmart.com CEO Joel Anderson. All Things D (4/26)      Business Analytics: Optimizing Your Operations Organizations are gathering and storing enormous amounts of information. Read this free e-book to see how mid-sized organizations can better use information to drive business decisions to lower costs and improve profit. Discover how you can overcome the barriers midsized business face and improve your competitive position.   Main Street    How green power can give your business a boost Using green power to run your business might give you a leg up on the competition, said Scott Nash, who runs an organic grocery-store business. "That is how they can differentiate themselves from the big guys," he said. Businesses can request that their energy companies provide them with power from sustainable sources. Entrepreneur online/The Daily Dose blog (4/26)      Hot off the Presses! Q2 2012 ERP Comparison Guide Get off to a successful start in the new quarter by shortening the time needed to purchase ERP software. Begin accurately controlling costs, inventory, and revenue forecasts. Learn how in this free download from Ziff Davis.   Policy & Government Affairs    NRF, business groups push lawmakers to renew tax breaks Business groups urged Congress to approve a bill to renew a package of tax breaks that have expired, including a credit that encourages employers to hire welfare recipients, handicapped people and unemployed veterans. "These provisions need to be extended as expeditiously as possible to eliminate business uncertainty that is causing delays in investment and hiring," said NRF tax counsel Rachelle Bernstein. American City Business Journals/Washington, D.C. (4/26), The Hill/On The Money blog (4/26)      Leveraging Cloud Security to Weather Threatening Storms Web attacks and retribution campaigns are on the rise, and they have become more frequent, more random and more extreme. This paper assesses the current cyber threat environment and discusses the use of distributed cloud services as an effective means to protect against evolving, modern-day IT threats.   Sponsored Content    Studies Find Startup Funding on the Decline Courtney Rubin Getting a Celebrity to Visit Your Business Katie Morell A Eulogy for the Private Office Cameron Herold 5 Ideas for Creative Advertising Through Sponsorship Jacob Harper How Gerber Group Changed Hotel Bars in 23 Locations Jhaneel Lockhart   NRF News  Yusen Logistics COO shares keys to a better supply chain Whether retailers are expanding or maintaining a presence in the marketplace, the sophistication of the transportation supply chain requires a strong relationship between retailers and transportation providers to ensure success and stability. As both sides begin gearing up for the contracting season, Yusen Logistics COO Michael Noone share insights into challenges for the year ahead, what retailers can do to strengthen partnerships with their transportation partners, and how transportation providers are taking corporate social responsibility seriously. Read more. Retail's BIG Blog (4/26)      NRF SmartStat: April 27, 2012 This Mother's Day, men intend to spend an average of $122.57 on jewelry. Source: NRF Mother’s Day survey conducted by BIGinsight.        From Papa John's to Dave's Soda & Pet City, retailers of all sizes head to Washington A diverse group of more than 100 retailers will gather for NRF's Washington Leadership Conference, May 15 to 16, to address issues critical to the growth of the retail industry with legislators on Capitol Hill. Join them, and help urge lawmakers to support job creation, sales tax fairness and corporate tax reform. Registration is free for retailers. See who’s attending.      Learn more about NRF -> Join NRF  |  Govt Relations  |  NRF Events  |  STORES  |  NRF Foundation   Chain Restaurant News  McDonald's marketer likes Olympics for a softer sell McDonald's sees the Summer Olympics in London as an opportunity to talk less about food and more about "children's well-being," said Kevin Newell, the global chief brand officer. The former Burrell Communications and Leo Burnett advertising executive says that when his attention turns back to food it will be in consideration of items sold at some McDonald's globally that could travel well to other countries. Chicago Tribune (4/27)      Europe's economy hinders Starbucks turnaround Starbucks saw strong sales growth in the U.S. and China in its most recent quarter, but the chain reported a $5.5 million net loss in Europe where the current economic downturn has worsened a sales slowdown. The company is in the midst of revamping its European operations, with a strategy similar to the successful turnaround it engineered in the U.S. a few years ago. The Wall Street Journal (4/26)      Position Title Company Name Location Customer Intelligence Strategist GFS Marketplace Grand Rapids , MI Retail Construction/Project Manager Jewelry Repair Enterprises, Inc Delray Beach, FL Senior Buyer Floor and Decor Outlets of America, Inc. Smryna, GA Director of Catalog Merchandising/Creative Scrubs & Beyond, LLC St. Louis , MO Merchandise Buyer Gorsuch Ltd. Vail, CO Senior Director of Quality and Product Safety Walmart Shenzhen, China Senior Manager of Field Human Resources Ollie's Bargain Outlet Harrisburg, PA Buyer, Hardgoods Moosejaw Mountaineering Madison Heights, MI Senior Store Leadership Management Position Saks Fifth Avenue Atlanta, GA Director of Field Human Resources The Vitamin Shoppe North Bergen , NJ Retail Merchandise Manager Le Creuset of America, Inc./Schiller Stores, Inc. Early Branch, SC Learning Solutions Manager PetSmart Phoenix, AZ Wholesale Visual Coordinator MacKenzie-Childs LLC New York, NY Director of Retail, Travel Hospitality Service Delaware North Companies Buffalo, NY Merchandise Planner Kohl's Department Stores Menomonee Falls, WI Merchandise Buyer - Multiple Categories Kohl's Department Stores Milwaukee/Menomonee Falls, WI Fashion Product Manager (Sourcing Manager) Target Minneapolis, MN Product Manager (Sourcing Manager) Target Minneapolis, MI Fashion Buyer Target Minneapolis, MN Target.com Merchandising Buyer Target Minneapolis, MN Retail Buyer - Home Target Minneapolis, MN Merchandise Planner Burlington Coat Factory Burlington, NJ Click here to view more job listings.   SmartQuote  Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen." --John Steinbeck, American writer        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:  Dena Malouf (202) 407-7837 Download Media Kit Job Board:  Jackie Basso (202) 407-7871       Recent NRF SmartBrief Issues: Thursday, April 26, 2012 Wednesday, April 25, 2012 Tuesday, April 24, 2012 Monday, April 23, 2012 Friday, April 20, 2012     Lead Editor:  Megan Conniff Contributing Editor:  Faye Rapoport     Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004     © 1999-2012 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information