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January 4, 2013

News for the retail industry

Top Story

How Petco reversed slowing sales
After two years of slipping sales and market share lost to big box and boutique competitors, Petco revamped its leadership strategy in 2007 to boost sales and profits by making the chain's 1,100 stores more engaging. The retailer worked with Root to develop a comprehensive training program aimed at educating leaders and managers across the organization on their new roles. Chief Learning Officer online (1/3)

Industry Watch

Wal-Mart, competitors dicker on price-comparison ads
Competing retailers including Toys R Us and Best Buy that were called out by name in price-comparison ads from Wal-Mart have voiced complaints, saying the ads cite incorrect prices and don't always compare apples to apples. The company defended the ads, which spurred same-store sales 1.2% when the first ones aired last year, saying Wal-Mart is confident in the accuracy of the information. The Wall Street Journal (1/3)

Bebe taps former Lacoste chief for CEO post
Bebe Stores has named Steve Birkhold as the new chief executive officer, replacing founder Manny Mashouf, who will become non-executive chairman. Birkhold most recently served as CEO of Lacoste North America, and his resume also includes stints at Diesel, VF Corp. and May Department Stores. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (1/3)

Wal-Mart names international format leader
Lev Khasis, who joined Wal-Mart in 2011, has been tapped for the new post of president and CEO of new formats for Wal-Mart International. “Lev has a track record of developing innovative formats, and he will now focus on developing new concepts that can be deployed across our markets to provide future growth,” said spokesman Kevin Gardner. Bloomberg Businessweek (1/4)

Macy's to close 6 stores, open others this year
Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (1/4)

Retail Trends

Deep discounting boosts holiday sales to a revised 4.5%
Retailers may have had a better Christmas than earlier reported. Tracking of 17 chains indicated a 4.5% increase in retail sales, after a slow start to December had analysts predicting a 3.3% rise, according to Thomson Reuters. But observers warn that the boost in sales may have been spurred by drastic price cutting that may only show when the fourth quarter is fully analyzed. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (1/3), Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (1/3)

Men's fashion gains momentum in 2012
Men's clothing sales grew 10% worldwide last year, according to Bain & Co., and the growth trend is on track to continue in 2013 with tailored menswear proving particularly strong, say retailers and designers. “There is definitely a desire for more modern, even contemporary, tailored clothing for young men. These guys are not looking for suits to wear to the office, but for going out at night," said Saks men's fashion director Eric Jennings. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (1/3)

Main Street

Lay out your store so products will fly off the shelves
When planning out the layout for your store, it's a good idea to limit the number of counters and develop an entrance area that will grab shoppers' attention, Jan Fletcher writes. "Make sure that at least a few products are visible to people who pass by the shop’s windows," Fletcher recommends. Intuit Small Business Blog (1/2)

10 tips for boosting your business this year
You can improve your business in 2013 by listening to employees' ideas, identifying new ways to generate income and focusing on the aspects of running your company that you are passionate about, experts say. "If you don't love what you're doing, you're never going to work hard enough to be one of the best," said Ken Blanchard, co-author of "The One Minute Manager." Entrepreneur online (1/2)

NRF News

Best practices to protect brands and consumers from counterfeiters
E-commerce has enabled retailers to do business on a global scale, but in turn has moved the business of counterfeits from the street corner to the digital world. A study by MarkMonitor analyzed the relationship between online shoppers, the search terms they use and the sites that they visit when seeking apparel and luxury goods. This white paper in the Shop.org library underscores the need for companies at all price points to implement proactive brand protection strategies in the online marketplace. Download the white paper.

NRF SmartStat: Jan. 4, 2013
More than 13,600 professionals are connected to NRF through LinkedIn. View the group.

Act now to save $150 on Retail's BIG Show
Friday, Jan. 4 is the last opportunity to secure a $150 registration discount for Retail’s BIG Show 2013, Jan. 13 to 16 in New York. The event attracts more than 25,000 industry pros, with executives from The Home Depot, Wal-Mart, HSN, Walgreens and many more already signed up. Learn more or register.

Learn more about NRF ->

Chain Restaurant News

Starbucks fights waste with reusable cups
In a bid to reduce waste, Starbucks has introduced a $1 plastic tumbler that can be reused, and will give consumers a 10-cent discount when they refill the cups. The cups, which have been tested in 600 stores, have interior lines to show how high to fill them for different drink sizes. USA Today (1/2), American City Business Journals/Tampa, Fla. (1/3)

Position Title	Company Name	Location
Assistant Buyer	Everything But Water	Orlando, FL
Merchandise Buyer	Everything But Water	Orlando, FL
VP Construction	Burlington Coat Factory	Burlington, NJ
Century 21 Department Stores eCommerce Project Manager	Century 21	Secaucus, NJ
Site Support Engineer/Developer-Omni Channel	PetSmart	Phoenix, AZ
Solutions Architect/Analyst (Integration)-Omni Channel	PetSmart	Phoenix, AZ
Solutions Architect/Analyst (Functional)-Omni Channel	PetSmart	Phoenix, AZ
Assistant Designer	Kohl's Department Stores	Milwaukee , WI
District Manager	Francesca's Collections	Raleigh, NC
Oracle Retail Business Consultant	Oracle America, Inc.	Nationwide, United States
Merchandise Buyer - Multiple Categories, Multiple Channels	Kohl's Department Stores	Milwaukee/Menomonee Falls, WI
Merchandise Planner - Multiple Categories	Kohl's Department Stores	Menomonee Falls, WI
Director Retail Operations	HMSHost	Detroit, MI
Director, Merchandising Operations	REI	Kent, WA
Oracle Retail Technical Consultant	Oracle America, Inc.	Nationwide, United States
E-Commerce Merchant	Kohl's Department Stores	Milwaukee / Menomonee Falls, WI

The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)

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