Top Story

• Target, Neiman Marcus amuse "Revenge" viewers with long-form ads
  Target and Neiman Marcus were the sole sponsors of Sunday's episode of ABC's "Revenge," using the air time to create five long-form spots that weave a story-within-a-story aimed at promoting the retailers' holiday partnership. The show's writers, actors and set designers worked on the commercials, to ensure the story and social media tie-ins would appeal to the program's target audience. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (11/9)     

Industry Watch

• J.C. Penney to hand out coded buttons for holiday push
  J.C. Penney chief executive Ron Johnson says the retailer will not eschew sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, despite a strategy of moving away from discounts. However, buttons with codes that can be entered online to win contest prizes will be handed out in lieu of coupons. Year-over-year sales were down more than 26% in the third quarter. USA Today (11/11)     

• Best Buy reportedly is close to naming a new CFO
  Best Buy reportedly will name retired Williams-Sonoma CFO Sharon McCollam as its new finance chief, replacing Jim Muehlbauer, who will leave at the end of the fiscal year. McCollam is credited with successfully scaling back Williams-Sonoma's store base after a period of over-expansion and helping the retailer expand its e-commerce operations. The Wall Street Journal (11/11)     

• Bergdorf Goodman holiday catalog promotes luxury lifestyle
  Bergdorf Goodman hopes a new 68-page holiday catalog will drive wealthy customers to the store as much for the in-store experience as the luxury products. "Customers do not just go to shop, but they go to be a part of the Bergdorf Goodman lifestyle, to have lunch and to go the spa," said Maude Meister, associate strategist at Siegel+Gale. Luxury Daily (11/9)     

Retail Trends

• Nordstrom, Designershoes.com cater to women with large feet
  Women with larger feet traditionally have had a tough time finding stylish shoes, but that's changing as retailers from Nordstrom to design-your-own site Shoesofprey.com offer more options in sizes up to 15. Things are changing because the average woman's foot has gone up at least one shoe size in the past three decades, according to Mark Denkler, a third-generation shoe retailer. The Oakland Tribune (Calif.)/Contra Costa Times (11/11)     

• Retailers temper hope with caution pre-holidays
  Retailers including Nordstrom, Macy's, Kohl's and Dillard's reported improved quarterly numbers last week, giving them reason to hope for a strong holiday season. Still, many aren't cheering just yet, as they wait to see how Hurricane Sandy, last week's election and the looming fiscal cliff affect their sales in the critical final months of the year. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (11/9)     

Sponsored Poll

• What's the most important ingredient for a retailer's success?
  Check out the responses to today's poll question in the NRF SmartBrief Best of 2012 report, which will hit your inbox on Wednesday, Dec. 12.

Young talent and career-driven employees

Passionate customers

A healthy economic and political climate

Staying ahead of the curve with new technology

All of the above

Retail Technology

• ShopRunner adds in-store pickup for online orders
  ShopRunner has launched a new feature called PickupPoints to give shoppers at any of its members' online stores the choice of picking up their purchases at a brick-and-mortar location. A growing list of retailers including Lord & Taylor, Toys R Us, Sports Authority and PetSmart have joined ShopRunner, created to give merchants a way to compete with Amazon Prime. TechCrunch (11/12)     

• Google Shopper gets update ahead of Black Friday
  Google has updated mobile application Google Shopper in time for the holidays, saying 4 in 5 consumers expect to use a mobile device for shopping this year. The app features an easier-to-use search box on the home screen and allows users to shop around for the best price. TechCrunch (11/9)     

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by NRF SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• How Obama's reelection will affect the retail industry (Retail's BIG Blog)

• Black Friday to come in waves at Wal-Mart (Bloomberg)

• Coach prevails in counterfeiting case (Internet Retailer)

• Fast-fashion fatigue bodes well for Gap, J.Crew (Bloomberg Businessweek)

• How Sandy will affect supply chains for the holidays (The New York Times (tiered subscription model))

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Policy & Government Affairs

• Proposed settlement on credit card fees receives preliminary approval
  A proposed $7.25 billion settlement between the two largest credit card companies and retailers has received preliminary approval from a federal judge. But NRF and other opponents say the proposal favors card companies while doing nothing to lower fees. The Seattle Times/The Associated Press (11/9), Reuters (11/9)     

Sponsored Content

NRF News

• How Coca-Cola stays relevant with shoppers after 125 years
  Brands winning in today’s marketplace understand that influencing the path to purchase takes the right mix of game-changing marketing savvy and meaningful innovation that deliver results. In a keynote at Retail’s BIG Show, Jan. 13 to 16 in New York, Coca-Cola's senior marketing and sales executives will share how the brand drives loyalty through a deep understanding of evolving consumer trends and its partnerships with retailers. Learn more.     

• NRF SmartStat: Nov. 12, 2012
  Almost 600 students and retail professionals like the NRF Foundation’s NRF on Campus page on Facebook. View the group.     

• The features, benefits and fundamentals for leveraging mobile POS
  Customers today expect a seamless multichannel experience, and mobile point-of-sale technology has become a predominate trend in successfully managing shopper expectations. In a STORES webinar on Nov. 15, executives from Celerant Technology and Motion Computing will explain how to utilize mobile POS to help increase employee efficiency and improve customer service on the front end, and how to use this technology for immediate access to product and customer information to create a seamless shopping experience. Learn more or register.     

Chain Restaurant News

• Burger King tests home delivery in U.S. markets
  Burger King has expanded a low-key delivery test to markets in Florida, using "proprietary thermal packaging technology" to keep lettuce from wilting and fries from going soggy. The Independent (London) (11/11)     

Position Title Company Name Location Senior Vice President, General Merchandise Manager Total Wine & More Potomac, MD The Divisional Merchandise Manager - Ladies Stein Mart Jacksonville, FL Sr. Food Buyer 99¢ Only Stores Los Angeles, CA Sr. General Merchandise Buyer 99¢ Only Stores Los Angeles, CA Oracle Retail Technical Consultant Oracle America, Inc. Nationwide, United States Oracle Retail Business Consultant Oracle America, Inc. Nationwide, United States Merchandise Planner Little Switzerland St. Thomas, USA Virgin Islands Senior Vice President of Marketing Total Wine & More Potomac, MD General Merchandise Manager Five Below, Inc. Philadelphia, PA Advertising Manager REI Kent, WA Product Manager - Time Tool Optics/ NavCom REI Kent, WA Channel Sales and Business Development SLI Systems San Jose, CA Sales Director - East Coast SLI Systems New York/New Jersey, NY Market Development Representative SLI Systems San Jose, CA

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SmartQuote

I observe the physician with the same diligence as the disease." --John Donne, British poet, satirist, lawyer and cleric