| September 5, 2012 | News for the retail industry |
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- Toys R Us, Wal-Mart cut layaway fees
Toys R Us has done away with upfront service fees and minimum purchase requirements for layaway customers this holiday season, in a move designed to make it easier for shoppers to use the service. Wal-Mart, which said two weeks ago it would triple its service fee to $15, has cut it back down to a $5 fee that will be refunded in the form of a gift card when the customer completes the purchase. ABC News/The Associated Press
(9/4), The Wall Street Journal
(9/4)     
 | Preparing for the Internet Sales Tax
With multiple versions of national legislation before Congress, the passage of a national internet sales tax in inevitable. A major challenge for retailers is the mastery of the process of assessing and collecting taxes from customers. Download the white paper Preparing for the Internet Sales Tax to learn more about better online business practices. |
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| Industry Watch |  |  |
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- Francesca's promotes president to CEO post
Francesca's Holdings President Neill Davis will become CEO when current chief executive John De Meritt steps down at the end of the year, the retailer said Tuesday. Davis joined Francesca's after 15 years in executive posts at The Men's Wearhouse. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required)
(9/4)
| Retail Trends | | |
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- Survey: Consumers say they'll pay for made-in-the-USA
Jobs and future employment have been on the minds of Americans in recent years, driving consumers to look more favorably on apparel that's made in the U.S., according to an NPD Group survey. More than three-quarters of respondents said a made-in-the-USA label is at least somewhat important to them, and 24.7% rated it "extremely important" when it comes to making buying decisions. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required)
(9/5)
- College students spend more to decorate dorm rooms
U.S. college students are no longer content to live with the basic minimum dorm room -- their spending on decor now accounts for about $50 billion in annual spending, or an average of $907.22 per student, according to NRF data. Retailers including Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond are increasingly targeting nesting college students, whose spending on dorm decor has proven largely immune to economic ups and downs. Business Insider
(9/4)
| Retail Technology | | |
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- Malware gets sneakier on retail sites
E-commerce sites are falling victim to a new strain of malware that's out to steal customers' personal data and is even tougher to detect than previous versions. “By far the best thing retailers can do is to leverage technology that is available ... and make sure it is integrated with their own systems such as order processing, risk assessment, authentication and so on," said ThreatMetrix CTO Andreas Baumhof. STORES magazine
(9/2012)
- RadioShack rolls out no-contract wireless service
RadioShack has launched a pay-as-you-go wireless service that will use Leap Wireless International's Cricket network on phones from China's Huawei Technologies. RadioShack, which operates 4,400 stores and 1,500 kiosks in Target stores, is basing its turnaround strategy on wireless phones and tablets. The Wall Street Journal
(9/4)
| NRF News | | |
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- What’s hot in retail (and at NRF)
August 2012 brought a wave of positive news thanks to solid July retail sales growth and an uptick in consumer confidence. But this was only one of the most sought after NRF resources last month. From the litany of resources on NRF's Back-to-School Headquarters to the launch of NRF's Integrated Mobile Initiative, view a comprehensive list of what your retail peers found valuable in August. Read more. Retail's BIG Blog
(9/5)
- Register by Friday and save $150 on the ARTS Users’ Conference
ARTS, NRF's IT standards division, is the retail industry's dedicated resource for reducing the costs of technology through standards. The annual Users' Conference, Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 in Dallas, is the prime spot to learn how to implement cutting-edge and standards-based technologies that can make a powerful impact on your business while saving money in the process. Register by Friday to take advantage of the early registration rate, and receive complimentary registration to one of the additional one-day workshops. Learn more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | |
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- India to get 1st all-vegetarian McDonald's
McDonald's plans to open the first all-vegetarian versions of its restaurants near two popular religious pilgrimage sites in India next year, as part of a push to expand in the country where it currently operates only 271 units. The burger chain has already tweaked the menu at its eateries in India, offering vegetarian options and creating separate kitchens for cooking meat and non-meat dishes. The Wall Street Journal
(9/4), The Telegraph (London)
(9/4)
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| Position Title | Company Name | Location |
| Product Buyer - Bath/Bedding/Textiles | The Andersons, Inc. | Maumee, OH |
| eCommerce Merchandise Specialist | Stein Mart | Jacksonville, FL |
| Sr. Marketing Manager | RPI Personalized Products | Seattle, WA |
| Corporate Recruiter | Burlington Coat Factory | Burlington, NJ |
| Merchandise Planner | Pier 1 Imports | Fort Worth, TX |
| Process/Distribution Center Manager | Vitaminshoppe | North Bergen, NJ, NJ |
| Marketing Manager - Mass Media | REI | Kent, WA |
| Creative Director | La-Z-Boy Incorporated | Monroe, MI |
| Omni Channel Applications Manager | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ |
| Omni Channel Functional Analyst | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ |
| Brand Director - Product Development | Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH | New York, NY |
| Senior Buyer - Home Decor | Shopko | Green Bay, WI |
| Senior Analyst - Data Warehousing | Shopko | Green Bay, WI |
| Director of Workforce Management | ULTA | Bolingbrook, IL |
| Senior CRM Analyst - Data Modeler | Ulta Beauty | Bolingbrook, IL |
| Senior Buyer | Ulta Beauty | Bolingbrook, IL |
| Senior Financial Analyst | ULTA Beauty | Bolingbrook, IL |
| Associate Buyer | Floor and Decor | Smyrna, GA |
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| Click here to view more job listings. |
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| SmartQuote | | |
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 | Winning can be defined as the science of being totally prepared."
--George Allen,
American football coach
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| | Recent NRF SmartBrief Issues:
- Tuesday, September 04, 2012
- Friday, August 31, 2012
- Thursday, August 30, 2012
- Wednesday, August 29, 2012
- Tuesday, August 28, 2012
| | | Lead Editor: Megan Conniff
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Michael Kors Holdings ranked No. 3 on the STORES Hot 100 Retailers list with more than 65% sales growth last year. Source: 
