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January 22, 2009 News for the retail industry   Industry Watch    Best Buy selects former store associate as new CEO Best Buy has selected Brian Dunn to replace Brad Anderson as the company's chief executive officer, effective June 24. Dunn, who began his Best Buy career in 1985 as a store associate, is president and chief operating officer of the consumer-electronics giant. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) (1/21), NYTimes.com/The Associated Press (1/21), The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (1/22) Edeka focuses on customers for retail success Successful grocers in Western Europe are catering their products to local tastes. Retailer Edeka, for example, which focuses on older customers, offers an expansive variety of health foods, single-serving meals and shopping carts that can attach to wheelchairs. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (1/21) Coach to cut back on new stores Coach is cutting down on its plans for expansion, scaling back its North American growth from 40 to about 20 new stores a year. The brand has been buoyed by sales at its outlet stores. Financial Times (free content) (1/21) Retailers see opportunity in China Though growth is slowing in China, major retailers continue to expand in the country. Brands such as Wal-Mart and Carrefour plan store openings in the double digits. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (1/22)   Other News Williams-Sonoma to reduce work force Reuters (1/21)   Feeling the Pinch in Today's Difficult Credit Market? Increasing credit costs can ripple through your business to affect longer-term plans that are essential to growth. Download the CFO Research Services report produced in collaboration with American Express: No Stone Unturned: Strategies for Cash Management in Hard Times to gain insight on how midsize companies are adapting in order to maintain their competitive positions under tough circumstances.     Retail trends    Consumer behavior is changing rapidly Events such as the economic meltdown and presidential election are prompting noticeable swings in consumer behavior. Researcher Experian Simmons is responding by offering marketers select information from its latest three-month consumer study as the information comes out of the field. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (1/21) Grocers and vendors in pricing standoff Grocery chains including SUPERVALU and A&P want vendors to lower prices and offer more promotions so they can better compete with low-cost stores such as Kroger and Wal-Mart. But industry observers say food manufacturers are not ready to lower prices quite yet. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model)/Dow Jones Newswires (1/21) Register for APT's FREE Markdown Optimization Webinar: The Test & Learn approach to markdown optimization enables retailers to test the impact of timing and the amount of markdowns, correctly identify profitable discounts, and precisely maximize markdown revenue. Register for this free webinar or download APT's case study on Markdown Optimization.   Retail Technology  Retailers make e-commerce sites more accessible Home Hardware Stores and other online retailers are making their Web sites easier to use for disabled consumers by using technology that makes it possible to navigate the sites without a mouse or conventional keyboard. "At Home Hardware, we recognize the importance of accessibility in all dimensions of the customer experience," CEO Paul Straus said. "It's more than just the right thing to do. It's good business practice." Internet Retailer magazine (1/2009)   Sponsored Content    5 Tips for More Productivity in 2009 The 411 on Franchise Quick Service Restaurant s Tough Talk for Tough Times: What the CEO Should Be Saying Now Weekends For Inspiration, Weekdays for Execution Five Lessons Learned from my Startup And why I d Do It Again   Policy & Government Affairs  Card-check bill takes away workers' choice The Employee Free Choice Act would take away workers' right to a secret ballot, and the NRF will continue to fight it, Tracy Mullin writes in STORES magazine. The card-check bill would open workers to pressure from unions and management, she says. STORES magazine (1/2009)     NRF News  Don't miss today's webinar on the value of being customer-centric in this economy Retail experts with a vast level of combined experience and insight from the apparel, food, beverage, electronics and department store industries will discuss the benefits of sharing accurate customer-centric information across retail processes, locations and channels. Join this STORES Knowledge Series webinar at 2 p.m. Eastern today. NRF SmartStat By selling stolen merchandise online, criminals can receive as much as 70% of an item's retail value, compared with about 30% on a street corner or at a pawnshop. Source: NRF   RAMA survey finds Super Bowl celebrations to include family, friends and a lot of snacks Football enthusiasts across the country are gearing up for one of their favorite days of the year: the Super Bowl. According to a survey conducted by BIGresearch for the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, an estimated 167 million adults will watch the game this year, up from 158 million last year. Though more people will be watching the game, the parties might be scaled back. Super Bowl viewers plan to spend an average of $57.27, less than last year's $59.90. In all, shoppers will spend $9.6 billion for the game. Learn more here. Learn more about NRF -> Join NRF  |  Govt Relations  |  NRF Events  |  STORES  |  NRF Foundation   Chain Restaurant News  Oprah talks up Starbucks' "I'm In" campaign Starbucks' volunteer-oriented promotion, dubbed "I'm In," got a boost from a mention by Oprah Winfrey on her Wednesday show. The coffee chain is managing an online system in which people pledge to perform five hours of community service, with the promised reward of a free coffee. The show featured a camera crew stationed at a Starbucks in Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (1/21) Carl's Jr., Hardee's make training changes CKE Restaurants is making changes to how it trains managers and restaurant-level employees with its Carl's Jr. and Hardee's brands. Managers will be instructed with an MBA-style approach at training centers, and restaurant workers will receive standardized training with a Web-based system. QSRMagazine.com (1/21)   Career Track  Retail Due Diligence Professional Spain, Price, Reader & Thompson, PC Home Based Office - USA General Manager Bass Pro Shops, Inc Various Locations, US Director, People - Employee Relations PetSmart Phoenix Merchandise Planner Spiegel Brands Inc New York, NY Senior Manager,Consumer Insights & Market Research PetSmart Phoenix, Arizona Associate Relations Manager PetSmart Phoenix, Arizona Visual Merchandiser Castle Megastore Tempe, AZ   SmartQuote  There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm." --Willa Cather, American author, from "The Song of the Lark"   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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