| May 7, 2012 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- BJ's Wholesale Club CEO on the future of warehouse clubs
 BJ's Wholesale Club operates 195 stores and remains on course to add five or six locations each year under the two equity firms that bought the chain and took it private last year, says CEO Laura Sen. Sen, who has worked her way up in retail since starting as a Jordan Marsh trainee in 1978, says warehouse clubs thrive in both good and bad economic times. STORES magazine (5/2012)      - Hobby Lobby boosts pay to attract top talent
Hobby Lobby has raised its minimum pay for the fourth consecutive year, with full-time workers now making at least $13 per hour. It's not unusual for retail workers to make between $13 and $16 per hour when benefits are factored in, says NRF's Ellen Davis, who added that merchants are looking for ways to raise worker morale and reduce turnover. "Some are adding wages, some adding hours, some adding jobs." The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio) (5/7) - Tilly's shares soar in first day of trading
California-based Tilly's saw its share price soar 10% on Friday, the first day of trading for the newly public surf-and-skate retailer. Tilly's, which operates 140 stores in 14 states, reported a 20% increase in sales last year. Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model) (5/4) - Levi's to debut 4th global flagship in Paris
Levi's, a U.S. brand that's already proven popular in France, will open a three-story flagship on the Avenue des Champs-Elysées in Paris this week. "France is one of our biggest markets worldwide. It sits in the top 10 of all our markets," said executive Erik Joule. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (5/6)  | 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! |
 - NYC retail real estate developers reverse course
New York City's retail landlords spent significant sums to amass smaller shop spaces that could be transformed into big-box retailers, but current trends toward online shopping and smaller stores have them reversing course. The city has lost 13 big-box stores in recent years, and landlords are turning many of the spaces back into smaller shops. "Everybody in some way shape or format is reducing their footprint," says Cushman & Wakefield's Gene Spiegelman. The Wall Street Journal (5/6) - Retailers added jobs in April
U.S. department stores and discounters added 21,400 jobs in April, about half the number they added in the same period last year, while apparel and accessories stores cut 1,300 from their ranks, according to the Labor Department. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (5/4)  | Discover Balanced Travel at Element Hotels
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  - Costco moves to increase its share of online retail
Costco Wholesale, which lags behind competitors when it comes to online sales, plans to launch mobile applications, boost international e-commerce and improve its ranking in online searches. Costco does about $2 billion in online sales annually, far less than Amazon and Wal-Mart Stores. The Seattle Times (5/5)  | Transforming spreadsheets: planning, budgeting and forecasting for midsize companies
A spreadsheet-based approach to performance management won't meet the challenges facing growing midsize businesses. You need confidence in the information you're using for critical decision-making. Read this white paper to see how IBM® Cognos® Express can transform the spreadsheet-only process. |
 | 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.
| | | Most Popular Headlines from Last Week Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers. |
| NRF News | | | | - NRF Global Supply Chain Summit kicks off in Atlanta
Retail supply chain professionals and strategic partners from across the globe gathered for an opening night reception in downtown Atlanta to commemorate the start of the second annual NRF Global Supply Chain Summit and EXPO. Over the next few days, attendees will discuss current issues in supply chain management, including a focus on the regulatory environment, corporate social responsibility and global trade management. Read more. Retail's BIG Blog (5/7) - How to achieve brand consistency across print and digital
As new technology emerges, so do the number of channels and opportunities to reach new markets. But how can retailers ensure their creative departments aren't sending mixed messages? In a May 9 webinar, marketing executives from Bare Necessities, Best Buy, and Sears Holdings will discuss best practices for organizing a marketing team in this new era of technology, who should make decisions, and how to ensure brand integrity across channels. This webinar is free for NRF and Shop.org members. Register now.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - McDonald's: On a mission to upgrade its image
A recent Twitter campaign designed to highlight McDonald's relationships with the farmers that grow its ingredients turned into a public relations nightmare in less than a day, illustrating the chain's challenges as it works to convince U.S. consumers to view its food differently. The chain is in the midst of an ongoing image-boosting campaign that includes upgrading stores and menu items and recruiting mom bloggers to tout its healthier offerings. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (5/4) | Editor's Note | | | | - Correction
The SmartQuote on May 4 misspelled the name of Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. SmartBrief regrets the error. | |  | | Position Title | Company Name | Location | | Manager, Mast Global Operations & Integration | Limited Brands | Columbus, OH | | Customer Intelligence Strategist | GFS Marketplace | Grand Rapids , MI | | Director of Catalog Merchandising/Creative | Scrubs & Beyond, LLC | St. Louis , MO | | Senior Merchant | Golfsmith International | Austin, TX | | Vice President Planning and Allocation | Golfsmith International | Austin, TX | | Merchant – Softlines | Golfsmith International | Austin, TX | | Senior Manager, Marketing | Total Wine & More | Potomac, MD | | Director of Payroll | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | 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 | | Women's Designer Selling Manager | Saks Fifth Avenue | Beverly Hills, CA | | Merchandise Planner | Stein Mart | Jacksonville, FL | | Buyer, Hardgoods | Moosejaw Mountaineering | Madison Heights, MI | | Category Manager/Buyer | The Vitamin Shoppe | North Bergen , NJ | | Merchandise Planner | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Wholesale Visual Coordinator | MacKenzie-Childs LLC | New York, NY | | Retail Merchandise Manager | Le Creuset of America, Inc./Schiller Stores, Inc. | Early Branch, SC | | 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. | | |
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--Alfred Brendel,
Austrian pianist  |
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- Wednesday, May 02, 2012
- Tuesday, May 01, 2012
- Monday, April 30, 2012
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Contributing Editor: Faye Rapoport
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