| December 5, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
| Top Story |  |  | |  | Earn 3X rewards points when you fly 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, and shipping
• 1X points on everything else
LEARN MORE AND APPLY |
  - Macy's CEO shares strategy for Bloomingdale's growth
Bloomingdale's is the smaller, upscale sister to 880-store Macy's, but it has been a growth brand and there are plenty of expansion plans. Chairman and CEO Terry Lundgren shares some of his plans for the 41-store chain, including a strategy of expanding into smaller, creatively designed spaces such as a 76,000-square-foot Santa Monica, Calif., store where dressing rooms can be lifted to the ceiling to create floor space for a fashion show. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (12/5)      - Task force helps Cook County, Ill., merchants fight theft
Police in Orland Park, Ill., realized during a bust last year that they were hard-pressed to combat the growing sophistication of organized retail thieves. The Cook County Regional Organized Crime task force, which formed a year ago, brings together retailers and law enforcement at the local, state and federal level to fight organized retail theft, and the results were displayed in a recent undercover sting that netted 59 arrests. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (12/3)  | Logistics is much more than the movement of goods and services. It's also your pre-game strategy. Before you step on the court, you need the right players running the right plays at the right time. Learn more about those key plays in this free whitepaper from UPS and get in the game of logistics. |
 - Counterfeit goods sellers add new categories
Most online shoppers are savvy enough by now to avoid buying fake prescription medications and knockoff bags, but there's a new crop of counterfeits. Fake perfumes range from harmless scents to rash-causing chemical concoctions, batteries and extension cords can be dangerous, and knockoff toys that haven't been tested can contain lead and pose choking hazards. The Wall Street Journal (12/4) - Holidays bring an increase of retail crime
Retailers have already taken a significant hit from organized retail theft this year, and it's slated to get worse as the holiday shopping season heats up. "This year, the indicators we have seen year-to-date all show that retail crime has been on the rise. Organized retail crime, which is professional shoplifting and return fraud, where people return things back to the store, is up," said NRF Vice President Joseph LaRocca. CNBC (12/2)  | Improve Holiday Sales Results with Tools from Akamai!
Now is the perfect time to ensure your website will hold up to the rush of holiday shoppers headed your way. With the challenges facing retailers this holiday shopping season, it's never too soon to focus. Download Akamai's Holiday Toolkit now! |
  | How are technology leaders adapting to the change and complexity that mark today’s economic landscape? Read this white paper to identify the 4 patterns, or mandates, employed by CIOs when leveraging business and information technology to innovate. Learn how each pattern indicated a distinct approach to IT leadership, and are derived from specific organizational needs. |
 - Charming Charlie stays focused on growth
Retail entrepreneur Charlie Chanaratsopon started the Houston-based Charming Charlie jewelry and accessories chain while earning his MBA seven years ago, and the company has since grown to 178 stores in 33 states. After opening the seventh store, Chanaratsopon hit on the concept of grouping merchandise based on color rather than category, a signature style that sets it apart from rivals, one analyst says. Houston Chronicle (12/2)  | Want the Secret to Customer Loyalty?
When it comes to customer loyalty, leaders beat laggards by more than 14 percent. Download the white paper Increase Customer Satisfaction with Productivity-Based Scheduling to learn how scheduling the right employees at the right times will make your customers want to buy more, recommend you, and stay in your store. |
 | 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.
| Policy & Government Affairs | | | | - Column: Why the Fed should cut debit card fees further
 Retailers and shoppers in the midst of the year's biggest selling season are beginning to reap the benefits of an estimated $7 billion in annual savings from lower debit-card fees, but they would be saving twice that if the Federal Reserve had followed Congress' rules, writes NRF general counsel Mallory Duncan. "Fed officials allowed themselves to be influenced by the very banks they are supposed to regulate. We want them to go back and follow the law this time." The Washington Post (12/1) | | | Most Popular Headlines from Last Week Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers. |
| NRF News | | | | - Retail and consumer products: How to prosper in a new era of growth
Shoppers today are responding differently than in past economic cycles, placing more emphasis on value. These shoppers, aided by the Internet, are smarter and more demanding. In a recent addition to NRF's Retail Reference Center, Jeff Edelman of RSM McCladrey shares how to win over the hearts and minds of your key shoppers by understanding what they want, when they want it and at what price they are willing to pay. Read more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | | |  | | Position Title | Company Name | Location | | Footwear Buyer | Forman Mills | Pennsauken, NJ | | IS Director of Operations | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Software Applications Architect-Merch/Marketing | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Buyer - Women's Accessories and Gifts | Pier 1 Imports | Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX | | Mens Buyer | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Sales Associate - Contemporary, Women's Designer, Jewelry | Saks Fifth Avenue | Naples, FL | | Director, Marketing Analytics | Saks Fifth Avenue | New York, NY | | Coordinator, Communications and Public Affairs | National Retail Federation | Washington, DC | | Assistant General Manager | Saks Fifth Avenue | Tulsa, OK | | Brand Ambassadors- Escada, Cartier and Burberry | Saks Fifth Avenue | Tulsa, TX | | Personal Shopper/Stylist - Saks "Fifth Avenue Club" Consultant | Saks Fifth Avenue | Sarasota, FL | | Director of Learning and Development | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Director of Store Operations | Francesca's Collections | Houston, TX | | Alterations Associate | Saks Fifth Avenue | Miami , FL | | VP DMM Boys | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ | | Paralegal III | The Clorox Company | Oakland, CA | | | Click here to view more job listings. | | |
| SmartQuote | | | |  | It is better to use fair means and fail, than foul and conquer."
--Sallust,
Roman historian  |
| | This SmartBrief was created for cpgbrokers.data@blogger.com
| | | | | | | | | Recent NRF SmartBrief Issues: - Friday, December 02, 2011
- Thursday, December 01, 2011
- Wednesday, November 30, 2011
- Tuesday, November 29, 2011
- Monday, November 28, 2011
| | | Lead Editor: Megan Conniff
Contributing Editor: Faye Rapoport
Mailing Address:
SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 | | | | | | © 1999-2011 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information |
|
NRF's Annual Convention is one of the top 40 fastest-growing trade shows in the U.S. Source: 
McDonald's Canada has created a video series dubbed "The Originals" for viewing on Facebook and YouTube. The series centers on friends Bryce and Jason, a former McDonald's employee, who make the restaurant their "creative HQ" as they write a TV show pitch. 
