| February 8, 2013 | News for the retail industry |
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- How salespeople drive success at Macy's
Macy's boosted sales 5.5% in the most recent quarter, despite a variety of hurdles ranging from the fiscal cliff to the weather, a feat accomplished with a focus on personalizing the shopping experience that's largely been driven by empowering the company's employees. "If we keep the experience worthwhile, consumers will come back. ... Our associates are our most powerful tool," Macy's director of consumer insights and strategy Cheryl Berinato said at Retail's BIG Show last month. Bloomberg Businessweek/The Management Blog
(2/7)     
| Industry Watch | | |
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- RadioShack names Walgreen executive to CEO post
RadioShack has named Joseph Magnacca as its new chief executive. He succeeds interim CEO Dorvin Lively to become the consumer electronics retailer's fourth CEO in three years. Magnacca, who is credited with helping lead Walgreen's upscale transformation as the company's executive vice president of marketing and merchandising, faces the immediate challenge of driving higher sales while shoring up RadioShack's bottom line, analysts said. Chicago Tribune (tiered subscription model)
(2/7), Bloomberg
(2/8)
- Saks switches to omnichannel management
Saks has refashioned the job descriptions and titles of its senior management team to better reflect the realities of running a retail operation in an omnichannel age, CEO Stephen Sadove said. "We wanted to create an environment where the Internet could thrive, build off of synergies and collaborate with our store business. There has to be a much higher degree of working together," he added. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required)
(2/8)
| Retail Trends | | |
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| Retail Technology | | |
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- Stores seek to match online tracking
Online merchants have an advantage when it comes to tracking every move their visitors make, but retailers have security cameras and other equipment in place to help them boost their ability to track customer trends. At American Apparel stores, sales are up since managers began using data from cameras to analyze traffic patterns and staff accordingly, says tech chief Stacey Shulman. The Economist (tiered subscription model)
(2/9)
- Social media is still a small part of retail, study says
People are interacting more on social media, but only 12% of consumers made a purchase through social media last year and only 18% bought something based on a referral from a social media source, a PricewaterhouseCoopers report says. "Our survey data shows that social media will, for the near future, remain a backwater sales channel, if you can call it a sales channel at all," said the report, which was based on a survey of 11,000 consumers in 11 countries. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily
(2/7)
| Policy & Government Affairs | | |
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- Amazon may strike a sales tax deal in Ga.
Amazon is reportedly in talks with Georgia taxing officials to craft a deal that would bring an Amazon fulfillment center to the state and set a date for the retailer to start collecting sales tax under a state law that took effect Jan. 1. "I'm very comfortable saying Amazon will build a distribution center in Georgia," Georgia Retail Association CEO Rick McAllister said. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
(2/8)
| NRF News | | |
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- When retailers will report monthly sales in 2013
NRF's 4-5-4 calendar serves as a voluntary guide for the retail industry and ensures sales comparability between years by dividing the year into months based on a four-weeks/five-weeks/four-weeks format. The 4-5-4 calendar also establishes sales release dates, which have historically been on the first Thursday following the month's end. NRF has released calendars for 2013 through 2017. View the calendars.
- Retail in the cloud: How it transforms IT and the customer experience
Moving retail operations to the cloud can be a daunting prospect, but when done efficiently it's a critical step toward seamless data management and going omnichannel with your business. In a STORES webinar on Feb. 21, Tomax CEO Eric Olfason will provide an overview of the economics, scalability and reliability of cloud and mobility solutions, and will highlight several retailers that have used the platform for channel and partner solutions integration. Learn more or register.
| Chain Restaurant News | | |
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- Study: Chains boost sales by cutting calories
U.S. restaurant chains that sold more low-calorie dishes boosted their overall same-store sales 5.5% between 2006 and 2011, while those that didn't saw a 5.5% decline, according to a study funded by the Robert Johnson Wood Foundation. The study, which looked at 21 quickservice, fast-casual and casual chains, defined low-cal dishes as those under 500 calories. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model)
(2/7)
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| Position Title | Company Name | Location |
| Director of Customer Experience | Francesca's | Houston, TX |
| Experienced Retail Manager | Total Wine & More | Seattle, WA |
| Director of E-Commerce | Kitchen & Company | Wilmington, DE |
| Senior Strategic Planner | TracyLocke | Wilton, CT |
| Director Loyalty Marketing | REI | Kent, WA |
| Trade Compliance Manager | West Marine | Watsonville, CA |
| Director of E-Commerce DC & Logistics | Francesca's | Houston, TX |
| CLIENT SERVICES BUSINESS ANALYST | KWI | Greenvale, NY |
| Assistant Implementation Manager | KWI | Greenvale, NY |
| Planner | STEIN MART | Jacksonville, FL |
| eCommerce Systems and Operations Lead | STEIN MART | Jacksonville, FL |
| Replenishment Manager | REI | Kent, WA |
| WW Director Digital Strategy & Platforms | Johnson & Johnson | Multiple Locations, United States |
| Vice President of Stores | Kitchen & Company | Wilmington, DE |
| Immediate Opening for Experienced Transactional Real Estate Attorney | Confidential | San Francisco, CA |
| Senior Counsel | Meijer | Grand Rapids, MI |
| Vice President of Marketing | Sleep Experts | Carrollton, TX |
| Retail Director #2936 | Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) | Albany, GA |
| Cosmetics Selling Manager | Saks Fifth Avenue | Palm Beach Gardens, FL |
| Selling Manager - Women's Shoes | Saks Fifth Avenue | Palm Beach Gardens, FL |
| Human Resources Director | Saks Fifth Avenue | San Francisco, CA |
| Chief Financial Officer | Kitchen & Company | Wilmington, DE |
| VP Marketing | Little Switzerland | St. Thomas, USA Virgin Islands |
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| Click here to view more job listings. |
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| SmartQuote | | |
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 | If you want to make enemies, try to change something."
--Woodrow Wilson,
28th U.S. president
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| | Recent NRF SmartBrief Issues:
- Thursday, February 07, 2013
- Wednesday, February 06, 2013
- Tuesday, February 05, 2013
- Monday, February 04, 2013
- Friday, February 01, 2013
| | | Lead Editor: Megan Conniff
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Retail's BIG Show 2013 accounted for more than a $21 million economic impact for New York City. Source: 
