 | June 29, 2012 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
| Top Story |  |  | |  | Get More with The Business Platinum Card from American Express OPEN. EARN 25,000 MEMBERSHIP REWARDS® POINTS by spending $5,000 in the first 3 months of Card membership†.
PLUS GET 40+ PREMIUM BENEFITS:
• Complimentary Airport Club Access
• Annual $200 Airline Fee Credit for any Airline
• 24/7 personal concierge
LEARN MORE †Terms and Restrictions Apply. |
  - American Apparel CEO predicts record 2012 sales
American Apparel is on track to book about $600 million in revenue this year, up about 7% from the previous sales record set in 2009, says chairman and CEO Dov Charney. The company will stick with its American manufacturing operations, which is becoming more affordable as overseas manufacturing costs rise, he said. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (6/28)      - Office-supply chains aim to shake up their image
Presidential candidate Mitt Romney was an early backer of Staples when he was at Bain Capital. Back then, the office-supply superstore concept was new and exciting; today, Staples, Office Depot and other chains are working to revamp their images with smaller stores and downsized product selections. The Huffington Post (6/28)  | Find your 25th hour — Want to boost your company's productivity? Microsoft is offering a workplace productivity survey to help you discover how to give your people more time to innovate, plus find ways to improve your company's productivity. Get the survey and see how you can get time on your side. |
 - Fireworks retailers hope shoppers spark to new state laws
Lawmakers around the country have spent much of the past decade loosening state restrictions on buying and selling fireworks, a potential boon for retailers who succeed in educating the public on the new rules. "The challenge is to overcome years of negative attitudes toward the product caused by the fact that it was illegal for all that time," said law professor and small-business attorney Richard Mandel. The Wall Street Journal (6/28) - Grocers are recognized for good customer service
A ranking by Temkin Group of companies with the best customer service includes Publix Super Markets, Chick-fil-A, Sam's Club, Hy-Vee, H.E. Butt Grocery, Starbucks, ALDI, ShopRite and Giant Eagle. The researcher examined eight categories, including retailers and investment firms, with grocers the only category to earn a "strong" rating. Retailing Today (free registration) (6/27)  | Scan as fast as you work. Scan as fast as 60 pages per minute with the new Canon DR-M160 and increase your productivity with a bigger daily scan volume of up to 7,000 pages. The document quality is improved with a scan resolution as high as 600 DPI.
Scan more for less. |
   | You've heard about the switch businesses are making to VoIP phone systems but are they right for your business? With more features and lower costs, the answer is probably yes. But don't take our word for it. Read Ziff Davis' Phone Systems Buyer's Guide and Comparison Guides, FREE with your registration. |
 | Policy & Government Affairs | | | |
| NRF News | | | | - Crisis management and communities: "Without retail, there was going to be no recovery"
When disasters strike, the response from retail can make or break a recovering community. Or as FEMA manager Lori Rivera mentioned recently in response to efforts in Joplin, Mo.: "Without retail, there was going to be no recovery." In an effort to help brands who are refining their crisis management programs -- or are just getting started -- executives from Cracker Barrel and Verizon joined Rivera to share best practices for developing a comprehensive crisis management strategy. Read more. Retail's BIG Blog (6/20)
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Restaurant groups voice concerns on health care decision
Restaurant trade groups spoke out against the Supreme Court's decision Thursday to uphold the Affordable Health Care Act, saying requirements to provide employee health insurance or pay penalties could prove financially devastating. "The law will particularly damage the chain restaurant industry, which operates on thin margins and cannot support costly government imposed mandates," said Rob Green, executive director of NRF's National Council of Chain Restaurants. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (6/28) - Beef 'O' Brady's buys the Brass Tap
Sports pub chain Beef 'O' Brady's has acquired the Brass Tap, a three-unit Florida-based concept centered on craft beer and premium wines. Beef 'O' Brady's, which operates 214 namesake restaurants, expects franchisees to open at least three additional Brass Tap restaurants by early next year. Restaurant Management online (6/28) | |  | | Position Title | Company Name | Location | | Spirits Buyer | Total Wine & More | Potomac, MD | | Area Director - Specialty Retail | The Container Store | Houston, TX | | Sr. Merchandise Planner | BevMo! | Concord, CA | | Buyer-Consumables (Food & Candy) | Headquarters Marine Corps-Marine Corps Exchanges | Quantico, VA | | Assistant General Manager of Merchandising (AGMM) | Saks Fifth Avenue | Huntington Station, NY | | Assistant General Manager of Merchandising (AGMM) | Saks Fifth Avenue | Sarasota, FL | | Inventory & General Ledger Analyst | WEST MARINE | Watsonville, CA | | Marketing Director | Saks Fifth Avenue | Huntington Station, NY | | IT Support | True Religion Brand Jeans | Vernon, CA | | Sr. Analyst, Customer Analytics | REI | Kent, WA | | Divisional Vice President, Marketing - Customer | REI | Kent, WA | | Divisional Vice President, Marketing - Brand Creative | REI | Kent, WA | | Mobile Retail and Special Projects Manager | LEGO Systems, Inc. | Enfield, CT | | Sr. Site Manager, Shopping Experience | Apple, Inc. | Cupertino, CA | | DMM | Francesca's Collections | Houston, TX | | Manager, Information Systems Audit | PetSmart, Inc | Phoenix, AZ | | Associate Buyer - Toys | Shopko | Green Bay, WI | | Divisional Private Brand Manager - Ladies | Shopko | Green Bay, WI | | District Manager | Hallmark | Raleigh, NC | | District Manager | Hallmark | New Orleans, LA | | Merchandise Planning Manager | Spirit Halloween | Egg Harbor Township, NJ | | | Click here to view more job listings. | | |
| SmartQuote | | | |  | It takes less time to do a thing right than to explain why you did it wrong."
--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,
American poet  |
| | This SmartBrief was created for cpgbrokers.data@blogger.com
| | | | | | | | | Recent NRF SmartBrief Issues: - Thursday, June 28, 2012
- Wednesday, June 27, 2012
- Tuesday, June 26, 2012
- Monday, June 25, 2012
- Friday, June 22, 2012
| | | Lead Editor: Megan Conniff
Mailing Address:
SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 | | | | | | © 1999-2012 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information |
|
More than four in 10 retailers say organized retail crime incidents occur en route from a manufacturer to a distribution center. Source: 
