Retailers build man caves to sell skin care products

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April 26, 2012 News for the retail industry   Top Story    Sears launches data-management division Sears Holdings has created a new subsidiary called MetaScale to provide clients with data-management and cloud-computing services to capitalize on the infrastructure it has built during the past two years to support its Sears and Kmart stores. The new venture will offer clients the ability to store large amounts of data for financial, research and other purposes, the company said. Crain's Chicago Business (4/24)      Which seniors are most profitable for you? When you segment seniors by affluence, education, employment, lifestyle, and geography, you find vast differences in their preferences and spending habits. Download this white paper to learn more about analyzing and segmenting this fast-growing and increasingly profitable consumer group.   Industry Watch    Retailers build man caves to sell skin care products Male adoption of skin care has turned the sector into a fast-growing market and is altering the retail space to make men more comfortable with buying such products. Drug store chains such as Duane Reade and CVS have followed department stores such as Nordstrom in offering male-dedicated spaces. Macy's new "men's grooming zone" in its Philadelphia store is "almost a men's skin care man cave," Macy's Muriel Gonzalez says. The Wall Street Journal (4/26)      Price Chopper raises spending threshold for fuel discount Starting May 13, Price Chopper Supermarkets shoppers will have to spend $100 with their AdvantEdge card to get 10 cents off per gallon of gas at a Sunoco station, instead of the previous $50. "We've turned down the volume on Fuel AdvantEdge so we can turn up the value on food pricing," said spokeswoman Mona Golub. American City Business Journals/Albany, N.Y. (4/25)      Max Azria aims to be "the biggest and the best" BCBG Max Azria Group founder Max Azria has his sights set on 25% annual growth on his way to achieving $1.5 billion in annual revenue and making his company the top U.S. apparel brand, he told attendees in his keynote at the Retail & Luxury Goods Conference at Harvard Business School. "If today I am the 20th-best in America, I want to be the first." Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (4/25)      Other News Federal judge approves settlement in Costco fuel case American City Business Journals/Kansas City, Mo. (4/25)      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!   Retail Trends    Where do mobile consumers shop? Global consumers are using tablets, laptops and smartphones to shop from just about anywhere they happen to find themselves, according to a new report from WorldPay. Of the 95% of consumers who shop online from home, 54% shop in the living room, 43% make purchases in the bedroom and 3% spend online while in the bathroom, the survey found. Portfolio.com (4/25)      Will consumption in BRIC countries catch up to the U.S.? American consumers significantly slowed their spending after the credit bubble burst; meanwhile, consumers in poorer developing countries saw their spending power rise. Collectively, consumption in Brazil, Russia, India and China is on track to surpass the U.S., according to IHS Global Insight. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (4/25)      What Every Small-Business Owner Needs To Know For Tax Season Small-business owners can seize many opportunities to reduce their taxes, lower their expenses and invest in employees and equipment this tax season. It’s important to understand the credits, deductions and strategies you can use to help maximize your business’s tax advantages. Download your 2012 Small Business Tax Strategy white paper now, exclusively for SmartBrief readers.   Retail Technology    New tool takes retailers beyond the "Like" button About a dozen retailers including Guitar Center and Oscar de la Renta have added a tool from Minneapolis-based 8thBridge that lets consumers share with their Facebook friends when they "love," "want" or already "own" a product. "It's almost like your gift registry, but it isn't around your birthday. It's all the time," said NRF's Mike Gatti. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) (4/25)      Survey: Mobile users don't want retailers tracking their locations Mobile users are almost unanimous in rejecting tracking of their mobile browsing habits as an acceptable commercial practice, according to a survey. Given an option, 79% said they "definitely" would not allow stores to track them based on their phones' browsing information. MediaPost Communications/Daily Online Examiner blog (4/25)      Collaborate in the cloud with Office, Exchange, SharePoint and Lync videoconferencing. Access, edit and share documents with Microsoft Office 365. Starting at $8/user/mo. Get your free trial now at Microsoft.com/office365   Policy & Government Affairs  EEOC issues update on criminal background checks A new policy from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission states that while employers can consider an applicant's criminal record in making a hiring decision, it cannot have a policy that completely rules out those with a conviction. NRF is concerned that new guidelines advising employers not to ask about convictions in the first interview would "restrict employers' ability to ensure the safety of their workers and customers," said vice president David French. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (4/25), The Kansas City Star (Mo.)/McClatchy Newspapers (4/25)      Customs agency to share more data on confiscated counterfeits The Customs and Border Protection agency has implemented a new rule that will allow it to share more information with brands when the agency confiscates counterfeit merchandise during cargo inspections. The interim rule reverses a prohibition on releasing information to trademark holders under the Trade Secrets Act. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (4/25)      Will you help NRF fight for retail? Join more than 100 retailers to advocate for the retail industry on Capitol Hill! Sign up now to visit with lawmakers during the NRF Washington Leadership Conference May 15-16, and help NRF push for job creation, corporate tax reform, sales tax fairness and more. Register now.   Sponsored Content    Can You Cut Your Web Services Bill in Half? Courtney Rubin Why Social Entrepreneurs Should Master Break-Even Ken Kaufman Why You Should Consider Advertising on TV Dan Schawbel The Five Essentials for Improving Your Website's SEO Elizabeth Sile 10 Questions to Ask Customers to Boost Your Sales Barry Moltz   NRF News  Why pulling advertising during a tough economy can backfire For many Americans, perception is reality, and this adage never rang more true for consumers after the economic fallout of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Using more than 10 years of consumer research, Marianne Bickle, professor and author of "The Changing American Consumer," explains how retailers can learn from the socioeconomic lessons that formed a new kind of American consumer over the past decade, and what the industry can do to help catalyze consumer confidence. Read more. Retail's BIG Blog (4/25)      NRF SmartStat: April 26, 2012 Almost two-thirds of Americans will shop at department stores this Mother's Day, the highest in the survey's history. Source: NRF survey conducted by BIGinsight.        Gilt Groupe CMO to speak at NYC Digital Retail Marketing Workshop on May 1 In a Shop.org Marketing Month workshop on May 1, Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, founder and chief merchandising officer of Gilt Groupe, will share how her company has embraced mobile and social technologies to drive site traffic, customer engagement and revenue. The half-day workshop also includes the latest retail marketing research from industry experts covering SoLoMo and how consumers are using social and mobile to shop or connect with retailers and brands. Registration is complimentary for all retailers. Learn more.      Learn more about NRF -> Join NRF  |  Govt Relations  |  NRF Events  |  STORES  |  NRF Foundation   Chain Restaurant News  Burger King makes shift to cage-free eggs Burger King said Wednesday it will begin buying eggs only from cage-free producers, and it expects to be buying only cage-free eggs at all 7,200 of its U.S. restaurants at the end of five years. The move makes Burger King the first U.S. quickservice chain to commit to going completely cage-free; the company also said it has committed to sourcing pork only from pigs raised without the use of gestation crates. The Wall Street Journal (4/25)      Other News Sam's Club gets Olive Garden exclusive Orlando Sentinel (Fla.) (4/25)      Position Title Company Name Location Customer Intelligence Strategist GFS Marketplace Grand Rapids , MI Director of Catalog Merchandising/Creative Scrubs & Beyond, LLC St. Louis , MO Retail Construction/Project Manager Jewelry Repair Enterprises, Inc Delray Beach, FL Senior Buyer Floor and Decor Outlets of America, Inc. Smryna, GA 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 Burlington Coat Factory Burlington, NJ Director of Marketing Moosejaw Madison Heights, MI 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 Click here to view more job listings.   SmartQuote  One person with a belief is equal to a force of 99 who have only interests." --John Stuart Mill, British philosopher and political economist        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: Wednesday, April 25, 2012 Tuesday, April 24, 2012 Monday, April 23, 2012 Friday, April 20, 2012 Thursday, April 19, 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