| July 29, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
| Industry Watch |  |  | | - Lord & Taylor will harness the wind to power 2 stores
Lord & Taylor has contracted with Austin, Texas-based Green Mountain Energy to provide wind energy to run two of the 185-year-old chain's department stores with wind power, including the New York City flagship on Fifth Avenue. The move helped push the company into 17th place on the Environmental Protection Agency's list of Top 20 retailers that are embracing clean energy. Crain's New York Business (7/28)      - Amazon debuts local deals in Chicago
Amazon launched AmazonLocal deals in Chicago through a partnership with daily-deal website LivingSocial, in which the retailer has an equity stake. AmazonLocal, which launched last month in Boise, Idaho, with offers from merchants and restaurateurs, debuted in Chicago with a dinner for two at Real Tenochtitlan Restaurant for $35. Chicago Tribune (7/28) - Apple stores show a high tolerance for silly behavior
 Comedian Mark Malkoff has been making a spectacle of himself at New York area Apple stores, testing the chain's reputed tolerance for odd behavior by bringing a goat into one store and eating a pizza he had delivered while browsing at another. None of the stunts got Malkoff kicked out, a sign some experts say of an effort to create a customer-friendly experience. "What are you going to do when you see someone order a pizza? Fight with him? He might just buy his next computer there," said NRF vice president Daniel Butler. MainStreet.com (7/29)  | The Business Gold Rewards Card® from American Express OPEN
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  - 2011's top back-to-school trends include deals, survey finds
Value and economy are the watchwords for budget-conscious parents heading into the back-to-school shopping season, and the top theme is "Spend where you need to, save where you can," according to surveys from NRF and BIGresearch. Parents are evaluating last year's purchases to see which items might make it another year, then spending to supplement, the survey found. They're also focusing more on quality and service than price to determine the true value of their purchases. Retail's BIG Blog (7/29) - Gadget retailers reap benefits from buyback insurance
Consumer-electronics retailers including RadioShack and Best Buy now offer buyback insurance plans that promise to pay up to half of a product's original cost when shoppers trade it in for a newer model within a few years, in exchange for an upfront fee. The profitable programs appeal to consumers striving to stay current in a fast-changing tech world, but some critics warn consumers to read the fine print before paying for a buyback policy. Bloomberg Businessweek (7/28)  | Let Social Media Find Your Staff For You
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 - Jewel-Osco offers Groupon deal on Unilever ice cream
Groupon is offering a 40% discount on Unilever ice cream sold at Jewel-Osco stores in the Chicago area. Shoppers must purchase the deal for $9 to receive $15 worth of products from Ben & Jerry's, Popsicle, Good Humor, Breyers or Klondike using their Jewel-Osco Preferred Customer Card. Progressive Grocer (7/28)  | Turning Online Shopper Uncertainty into a New Source of Sales and Profits. Eliminating consumer uncertainty is a challenge for all online merchants. The question is, how can you address shoppers' concerns and increase sales and profits in the process? Download the buySAFE white paper to learn more NOW! |
| NRF News | | | | - Web growth outpacing store growth; Forrester executive shares why
In a sneak peek from part two of Shop.org's State of Retailing Online survey, three-quarters of retailers have experienced more than 10 percent year-over-year growth in the online channel this year. As retailers embark on the back-to-school season this month and the holiday season shortly after, Forrester Research Principal Analyst Sucharita Mulpuru shares why web growth has been consistently stronger than offline and offers two tips to keep this momentum going. Read more. - NRF SmartStat: July 29, 2011
 Over 60% of consumers said they will begin shopping for back-to-school items at least three weeks before school starts. Source: NRF survey conducted by BIGresearch.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - McDonald's leverages Foursquare in McCafe promo
Consumers in the New York City region participated in McDonald's "Toast Your Town" campaign, posting comments about their hometowns with the #toastyourtown hashtag. As a result, followers of @McDNYTriState grew from 900 to 7,423. Next, three Foursquare competitions invited customers to check in at a local McDonald's to win a McCafe party. New Jersey and Manhattan won the first two contests; the third starts Aug. 8. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (7/28) - Higher food costs drive up the price of a restaurant meal
Prices for restaurant meals and groceries rose 3.7% in the 12-month period that ended in June, as eateries including Chipotle passed along some of the higher commodity prices to their customers. Chains also are seeing higher prices eat into their profit margins. Chipotle expects to see food inflation rise 5% this year while Yum! Brands is calling for a rise of up to 7%. Bloomberg (7/25)  | |  | | | | |  |  Merchant Opportunities | Kohl's | Milwaukee, WI | | Director, Safety and Health | OfficeMax | Naperville, IL | | IS Manager Store & DC Support | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Loss Prevention Exception Reporting Manager | Stein Mart | Jacksonville, Florida, FL | | Sales Associate | Saks Fifth Avenue | Phoenix, AZ | | Sales Associate | Saks Fifth Avenue- San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA | | Sales & Education Executive | Napoleon Perdis Cosmetics | Nationwide, United States | | Business Analyst | Five Below, Inc. | Philadelphia, PA | | District Manager | Five Below, Inc. | Philadelphia, PA | | Fashion Buyer | Target | Minneapolis, MN | | Sales Associate | UNIQLO | Manhattan, NY | | IT Opportunities | Belk Inc. | Charlotte, NC | | Store Manager - Bealls | Bealls | Orlando, FL | | Manager, Product Training | Samsung Electronics America, Inc | Ridgefield Park, NJ | | Department Manager - Designer - Saks Fifth Avenue Chicago | Saks Fifth Avenue | Chicago, IL | | Senior Retail Marketing Advertising Manager | Cabela's | Sidney, NE | | SALES ASSOCIATES AND BEAUTY SPECIALISTS | SAKS FIFTH AVENUE | STAMFORD, CT | | SALES ASSOCIATES AND SALES SUPPORT ASSOCIATES | SAKS FIFTH AVENUE | HUNTINGTON STATION, LONG ISLAND, NY | | SALES ASSOCIATES | SAKS FIFTH AVENUE | TROY, MI | | | |  | |  |
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