 | November 1, 2010 | News for the retail industry |  |  | | - Kmart launches inclusive holiday campaign
Kmart has changed the way it markets to minorities, this year launching a holiday campaign with the theme "everybody celebrates differently, and the way you choose to celebrate is the right way," said Mark Snyder, the company's chief marketing officer. In the past, Kmart ran separate campaigns for specific ethnic groups, but Snyder said the new campaign will include more than 90 models of different ethnicities. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (11/1)       - Profile of a Wal-Mart market manager: Chris Jones began his Wal-Mart career at 17. Jones worked his way up the ranks and, at 28, was recently named market manager for the northern New Jersey region. In this interview, Jones shares the duties that come under his new job description, plans for Black Friday and the belief that even greater opportunities lie ahead. "You kind of set your own destiny, based upon your efforts, your willingness, wanting to learn. You're the only person standing in your way." The Record (Hackensack, N.J.) (10/31)
- Barnes & Noble to amend its shareholder-rights plan
Bowing to pressure from shareholders including billionaire Ron Burkle, Barnes & Noble is amending its shareholder rights plan to limit further equity acquisitions by Chairman Leonard Riggio, who owns a 30% stake in the company, and his family members. The company's shareholders will vote on the plan later this month. Riggio has announced in the past that he was considering putting together a group to buy the company, but said last week that he would not do so without the consent of a board committee charged with evaluating offers. The Wall Street Journal/The Associated Press (10/31)  | Adobe Mobile Experience Survey: What Users Want from Media, Finance, Travel & Shopping. With more than 4.5 billion cell phone subscribers worldwide, it's no wonder businesses are betting big on mobile. Get a first-of-its-kind, bird's eye view of what consumers are doing on their mobile devices and what most engages them across 4 key industries. Download the whitepaper. | - Retailers add indie bands to their in-store offerings
Retail chains are finding growing opportunities to generate excitement among younger shoppers by adding promotions that also create buzz for emerging indie musicians. Dress Barn's 700-store Maurices chain has partnered with Minneapolis-based indie band Sick of Sarah on a girl-band contest, and the chain has been piping the band's music into its stores as part of the promotion. New York Post (10/31) - Shoppers flock to teen-centric Times Square stores
Teen apparel merchants including Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters and Forever 21 are seeing their high-rent gambles pay off as growing throngs of teens discover their new Times Square flagships. The ultra-popular Manhattan destination sees about 365,000 daily visitors, up 8% over last year, and many are young tourists whose trips include shopping in the teen-oriented stores. Crain's New York Business (10/31)  | Gain Critical Market and Retail Intelligence on POS. How are your competitors leveraging POS, and which systems do they rely on to advance in today's markets? Get fresh insights into today's POS priorities, technology and market trends, plus in-depth vendor comparisons from this new 55-page report from IHL Group. This outstanding value is yours at no cost. | - Social media proves game-changing for traditional retail
 Daily-deal sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial are offering consumers deeper-than-ever discounts, and social media players including Facebook and Twitter allow brands and manufacturers more direct connections with consumers than ever before. Traditional retailers can compete successfully with these changes, but only by creating their own strong social media presences, writes CustomerThink blogger Harish Kotadia. CustomerThink (10/30) | 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.
| NRF News | | | | - What's Hot in Retail? We've got your list
The hottest items in retail last month included a slew of holiday-related resources, including blog posts on the top 10 trends for the 2010 holidays and a Q-and-A with Hobby Lobby's CEO on what to expect this season. Also popular: NRF's recently released economic analysis on the impact of a Value Added Tax. Read more. - Billions of dollars at stake as swipe fee feud heats up again
Credit and debit card swipe fees are in the news again, and NRF's arguments on behalf of the retail industry are receiving widespread attention. NRF's Craig Shearman details the recent developments, including the current battle between the Department of Justice and American Express and a lawsuit filed against the recently passed Durbin Amendment. Read more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - McDonald's rolls out McRib nationally -- for a month
McDonald's will roll out a limited national run of its popular McRib sandwich Tuesday, a product that's proved popular in large part because of its limited availability. A new campaign confers "legend" status on the sandwich, and the chain is asking fans to submit their own McRib stories -- fact and fiction are both fine -- in a contest to win a trip to Germany, the only country in the world where the sandwich is always on the menu. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (11/1) , QSRWeb.com (10/29) | Career Track | | | |  | |  | | | | | | |  |  Director of E-Commerce | The Wet Seal, INC | Foothill Ranch, CA | | Creative Manager | Neiman Marcus/Bergdorf Goodman | Irving , TX | | Retail Marketing Director | OfficeMax, Inc | Naperville, IL | | Systems Analyst-Labor Applications | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Director, Strategic Communications and Campaign | Universal Technical Institute Inc. | Phoenix, AZ | | Senior Ecommerce Manager | Expedia | Seattle, WA | | Senior Employment/Labor Counsel | Meijer | Grand Rapids, MI | | Division Merchandise Manager | Sears | Hoffman Estates, IL | | Senior Director - Retail Applications | DSW, Inc. | Columbus, OH | | Senior Marketing Manager-Customer Experience | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Merchandise Planner - Emblematic Apparel and Gifts, U.S. Stores | Follett Higher Education Group | Oak Brook, IL | | Senior Merchandise Planner - Emblematic Apparel and Gifts, U.S. Stores | Follett Higher Education Group | Oak Brook, IL | | System Analyst- SQL and Microsoft Dynamics | The Hershey Company | Hershey, PA | | Category Manager - Own Brands (Food & Consumables) | Sears | Hoffman Estates, IL | | | |  | |  | |
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Six out of 10 adults over age 55 expect to consult customer reviews on a retailer site this holiday season. Source: 
