Top Story

• How Sandy will affect supply chains for the holidays
  Hurricane Sandy's effects may be felt throughout the holiday shopping season, as retailers struggle with delivery delays and possible canceled orders as a result of closed ports and shipping terminals, gas shortages and closed roads. "We are now coming into the cutoff for seasonal orders for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays," said Paul Tsui, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Freight Forwarding and Logistics. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (11/4)     

• Retailers shift focus from Sandy to Santa: U.S. retailers hope to put Hurricane Sandy firmly into the past as they again focus on boosting holiday sales. Sears will open at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving, Target is decking out its gift cards with new bells and whistles, and forecasters say merchants will benefit from two "extra" shopping weekends this year. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (11/4)     

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Industry Watch

• Dots grows to 15 Michigan stores
  Specialty apparel retailer Dots has opened two new Detroit-area stores in time for the holidays, with a brand of "affordable" fashion that's resonating with the region's budget-conscious shoppers. Dots is growing even as competing chain Fashion Bug holds clearance sales before closing all 35 Michigan stores. The Detroit News (11/3)     

• Are investors underestimating Barnes & Noble?
  Contrary to conventional wisdom, Barnes & Noble's bookselling business is growing and unit Nook Media is holding its own, despite strong competition from Amazon and Apple, CEO William Lynch told investors. The Wall Street Journal (11/4)     

• Kohl's holiday campaign has online elements, contests
  Kohl's is running its "Dream Gifts" campaign in TV spots and online, and is promoting a daily free-shopping trip giveaway. The department store is encouraging the social sharing of shopping lists and hopes to create "a comfortable, convenient and inspiring shopping experience in-store, online and through mobile devices," says CEO Kevin Mansell. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (11/2)     

• Other News

• Belk promotes HR executive Orvos to CFO post
  Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (11/2)     

Retail Trends

• Report: Retail jobs increase with higher spending
  U.S. consumers are growing more confident, a trend showing up in higher sales and retail hiring, analysts say. Auto retailers set a two-year high in job growth and home furnishing stores have added about 7,000 employees in the last three months, reversing recession-era cuts, as rising home sales drove higher furniture sales. USA Today (11/4)     

Retail Technology

• Retailers cut costs with digital receipts
  A growing number of retailers including Macy's, Whole Foods, Nordstrom and Gap are discovering they can boost their bottom lines by offering customers the option of receiving a digital receipt via e-mail instead of the traditional paper version. USA Today (11/3)     

• Other News

• Home Depot leverages mobile campaign to bring shoppers to stores
  MobileCommerceDaily.com (11/5)     

Hot Topics

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

• Hot Topic tests teen lingerie concept (CNBC)

• Retailers report higher October sales (The Wall Street Journal)

• East Coast retailers prepare for Hurricane Sandy (Women's Wear Daily)

• American Apparel CEO responds to social storm over storm sale (Bloomberg Businessweek)

• Apple dismisses retail, mobile chiefs in unrelated moves (The New York Times (tiered subscription model))

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

Policy & Government Affairs

• Major retailers sign on to fight swipe-fee settlement
  Lawyers for about 1,200 retailers and trade groups filed briefs in U.S. District Court late last week, urging the judge to reject the $7.25 billion settlement offer proposed by Visa and MasterCard. Retail chains including Target, Macy's, Wal-Mart and Saks joined NRF in filing separate briefs in the case. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (11/2)     

NRF News

• Looking for the candidates' stance on key retail issues? Look no further.
  In this pivotal election, the voice of the retail industry -- 42 million strong -- will play a big role in determining who will be the next leader of the United States. NRF's Retail Means Votes resource center provides a bird's-eye view of each candidate's position on policies such as tax policy, health care reform and more. Be sure to get out and vote tomorrow and ensure the industry's policy priorities are supported in Washington. View the Presidential comparison.     

• NRF SmartStat: Nov. 5, 2012
  Almost two-thirds of Americans who own tablets plan to use their device to research and purchase holiday gifts, décor and more this year. Source: NRF survey conducted by BIGinsight.     

• NRF releases crowd management guidelines as holiday season approaches
  In anticipation of Black Friday and other events that bring large crowds during the holiday season, NRF has released its 2012 Crowd Management Guidelines. These guidelines, created in collaboration with retail loss prevention executives, examine both the expected and unexpected factors in managing large crowds. This year's edition also has the guidelines in flip book format, providing retailers and their employees with an interactive look at resources such as response protocols for criminal flash mobs and a checklist for promotional sales and special events to keep stores, shoppers and associates safe during the holidays. Learn more.     

Sponsored Poll

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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 Senior Vice President of Marketing Total Wine & More Potomac, MD General Merchandise Manager Five Below, Inc. Philadelphia, PA Product Manager - Time Tool Optics/ NavCom REI Kent, WA Advertising Manager 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 District Manager Hallmark New Orleans, LA

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SmartQuote

Whoever is winning at the moment will always seem to be invincible." --George Orwell, British novelist and journalist