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December 12, 2008 News for the retail industry   Industry Watch    BJ's appoints Laura Sen as chief executive BJ's Wholesale Club named Laura Sen as its chief executive, effective Feb. 1. Sen, previously president and chief operating officer, will replace Herb Zarkin, who will stay on as chairman of the board. Reuters (12/11), Bloomberg Businessweek/The Associated Press (12/11) Wal-Mart, vintage bands find partnerships pay off Wal-Mart has discovered a new revenue stream as the exclusive retailer of new releases from such vintage bands as Journey and AC/DC. The deals create excitement in the stores while sparking chart-topping revivals for bands long past their heyday. Wal-Mart also is seeing a bump in electronics sales as a result of the partnerships. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (12/11) KB Toys files for Chapter 11 KB Toys has filed for bankruptcy protection and plans to close its 277 mall-based stores and 114 outlets. In its Chapter 11 filings, the chain blamed "sudden and sharp decline in consumer sales due to macro-economic concerns." Boston Herald (12/12), Google/The Associated Press (12/11), The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/DealBook blog (12/11) J. Crew adds jewelry to gift clubs J. Crew is adding its fourth gift-of-the-month club, this one for jewelry. The retailer is betting that customers will see the gift clubs as a good deal amid the downturn. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (12/11) Other News Tesco slashes prices in half The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (12/12)   How secure is your customer data? Information leaks, not external hacks, cause the majority of data loss. However, most data loss prevention solutions do not distinguish between internal and external threats. When each leak can result in multi-million-dollar losses, it's time to be sure your clients' data is thoroughly protected. Read Prevent Data Loss and Comply with PCI to learn how to neutralize internal data loss threats.     Retail trends    "Happy" holiday songs encourage shoppers to linger in stores Traditional holiday songs are out in favor of happier tunes this year, says an executive who chooses music for retail chains. The traditional tunes might be too nostalgic for customers worried about affording an old-fashioned Christmas, while upbeat contemporary selections such as Josh Rose's "Winter in the Hamptons" can encourage them to relax and buy more. Forbes/The Associated Press (12/11) Liquidating stores offer competition for retail neighbors As retail companies close down stores, neighboring businesses face competition from liquidation sales. This Wall Street Journal article examines how liquidations are conducted and what effects they can have. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (12/12) Retailers send unsold products overseas As U.S. retailers are finding themselves stuck with unsold merchandise, they're looking to sell it overseas, where they are not bound by contracts that prevent them from selling products below a certain price. Unsold inventory has increased 20% over last year, analysts estimate. CNNMoney.com (12/11) Other News Hispanic shoppers tend to browse, according to study Mediaweek (12/11) Sell shoppers what they need, not what they want Forbes (12/5) The DOL recently issued regulations clarifying and amending prior regulations concerning the Family and Medical Leave Act. These regulations, effective Jan. 16, 2009, impose new burdens on employers but also provide employers additional rights. Click here to learn more about the new FMLA regulations.   Retail Technology    Macy's invests in cross-channel improvements Macy's is piloting a program that allows Florida shoppers to place electronic orders from point-of-sale registers, among other efforts to integrate its in-store shopping with its e-commerce features. "Our goal is to fulfill a shopper's need whatever it is, whenever it's needed and wherever the customer may be," said Terry J. Lundgren, CEO, chairman and president. DMNews (12/11) RFID system helps customers connect with store employees A radio-frequency identification system is helping a Finnish clothing store provide better customer service by displaying complementary items on touch screens, which alert clerks to bring the additional choices to the dressing room. The store also uses its RFID system from Senso Solutions to track inventory. Wired magazine/Gadget Lab blog (12/2008) The Effectiveness of Modernizing Operations See how modernizing operations not only helps simplify your merchandising and processing systems, but improves your capabilities for segmentation, pricing, inventory control and replenishment. Learn more about how one company developed a computerized operating system that could track all operations during their rapid growth.   NRF News  Late Black Friday, shorter holiday season impact November retail sales, according to NRF While shoppers were out and about Black Friday weekend, they kept their pennies to themselves the rest of the month, with November retail sales showing continued consumer restraint. According to the National Retail Federation, retail-industry sales for November (which exclude automobiles, gas stations and restaurants) increased 0.6% seasonally adjusted from October and decreased 2% unadjusted year over year. Industry-related month-to-month sales saw the first increase in four months. Read more here. NRF SmartStat About one-third of online retailers surveyed said they expect their online business to perform better than expected in the next year. Source: State of Retailing Online 2008.   Order Chew on This gum, a new product for a great cause Creative minds have been chewing on RAMA's very own brand of gum. The peppermint gum is packaged along with a creative story and supports the Randy Curtis Memorial Award. Each carton contains 12 sleeves of gum, which are great for gifts or for resale, and is just $30 including shipping and handling. Learn more about the Chew on This gum. Learn more about NRF -> Join NRF  |  Govt Relations  |  NRF Events  |  STORES  |  NRF Foundation   Chain Restaurant News  Hooters banks on U.S. culture for global franchises Hooters' ability to serve up American culture might help the chain as it expands into international franchising. Since opening in China as American Owl in 2004, the chain has added five restaurants in three cities. Just like in the U.S., patrons can watch football games and dine on hamburgers and chicken wings. The Palm Beach Post (Fla.)/Cox News Service (12/12) Seattle's Best Coffee hopes for a Subway ride The Subway sandwich chain will begin testing Starbucks-owned Seattle's Best Coffee at 1,900 locations starting in January. The potential partnership with Subway would give Starbucks Corp. a chance to win back quickservice consumers that might have made the switch to McDonald's coffee because it is cheaper. Nation's Restaurant News (free registration) (12/11)   Career Track  2009 Board of Trustees for the ICF Foundation Announced Dunkin' Brands Announces New Chief Executive Officer in Succession Planning Move Director, International Logistics PETCO San Diego, CA Director, Supply Chain Performance Stein Mart, Inc. Jacksonville, FL POS Technical Support Representative - System Device Sales Epson America, Inc. TBD General Manager, Retail Delaware North Companies Los Angeles, CA Senior Sales Executive Resonate Networks Alexandria, VA Merchandising / Store Operations Retail Technology Tomax Corporation Salt Lake City, UT Director of Store Operations Lane Bryant Columbus, Ohio Web Design Manager Cabela's Inc. Sidney, NE Senior Retail Applications Developer Tomax Corporation Salt Lake City, UT Manager Store Operations Charming Shoppes, Inc. Bensalem, PA Help Desk Manager Total Wine & More US-MD-Bethesda Merchandising Specialist - MD, Glen Burnie Mosaic US-MD-Glen Burnie   SmartQuote  Right or wrong, the customer is always right." --Marshall Field, department store developer   Subscriber Tools       Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Grab our News Widget Publish your Press Release   Advertise Associate Publisher:  Susan W. 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