Monthly Archives: January 2011

Jan31

BIG Show ’11: Top trends from the EXPO hall floor

By Margaret Case Little, Director, Communications | Published: January 31, 2011

Be the first to comment | Posted in Events, Technology, Video

Didn’t get a chance to walk the EXPO hall floor at Retail’s BIG Show this year? Fear not. Our roving videographer spoke with retail executives from companies like IBM and ShopperTrak on a number of key trends presented on the EXPO hall floor. Watch our 3 minute video below for insights from industry executives as [...]

Posted in: Events | Technology | Video Tagged Annual 2011, expo floor, IBM, mobile retailing, mobile security, Retail's Big Show, ShopperTrak, social networking, trends |

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Jan26

Obama highlights retail jobs in State of the Union

By Craig Shearman, VP, Government Affairs PR | Published: January 26, 2011

2 Comments | Posted in Public Policy

The retail industry wasn’t forgotten as President Obama delivered his State of the Union address on Tuesday night. Talking about how government support of research that has led to new products like computers and GPS units, Obama said, “Just think of all the good jobs – from manufacturing to retail – that have come from [...]

Posted in: Public Policy Tagged corporate tax reform, job creation, National Retail Federation, NRF, President Obama, retail creates jobs, Retail jobs, State of the Union, tax reform, trade |

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Jan25

Retailers and an economist map out retail’s road to recovery

By Sarah Rand, Senior Director, NRF | Published: January 25, 2011

Be the first to comment | Posted in Events, Retail Companies

Mark Greene, CEO of FICO, opened one of this year’s Retail’s BIG Show super sessions with good news: “There is evidence now that consumer spending has returned.” He tempered that with “The recovery is taking hold, but there is mixed evidence as to where and how quickly.” Greene looked to his panel for insights into [...]

Posted in: Events | Retail Companies Tagged Annual 2011, Brooks Brothers, China, Claudio Del Vecchio, Collective Brands, customer engagement, deficit, economic forecast, Economy, Europe, FICO, Ian Cheshire, job creation, jobs, Kingfisher, Mark Greene, Mark Zandi, Matthew Rubel, Moody's Economy.com, Payless Shoe Source, Retail Brand Alliance, Retail's Big Show, social media, Stride Rite, unemployment |

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Jan25

Business intelligence exec talks localization, optimization in 2011

By Margaret Case Little, Director, Communications | Published: January 25, 2011

Be the first to comment | Posted in Events, Retail Trends, Technology, Video

As a leader in business analytics software and services, and the largest independent vendor in the business intelligence market, SAS was a key booth to drop-by for many attendees walking the EXPO hall floor at NRF’s Annual Convention in New York City. While he wasn’t busy speaking with attendees, we grabbed a few minutes with [...]

Posted in: Events | Retail Trends | Technology | Video Tagged Annual 2011, Gene Gsell, localization, optimization, Retail's Big Show, SAS, Technology |

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Jan24

Traditional retailers get serious about groceries

By Kathy Grannis, NRF spokesperson | Published: January 24, 2011

Be the first to comment | Posted in Retail Trends, Video

The definition of a grocery store has dramatically changed in recent years, especially with large retailers such as Walmart and Target now being a part of the mix. Walmart, in fact, is now known as the nation’s largest grocer (that’s in addition to being the nation’s largest retailer.) For the most part, retailers who previously didn’t sell food [...]

Posted in: Retail Trends | Video Tagged Dan Butler, drugstores, grocery stores, Target, Walmart |

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Jan21

Chico’s FAS exec shares how analytics are improving their business

By Margaret Case Little, Director, Communications | Published: January 21, 2011

Be the first to comment | Posted in Retail Companies, Retail Trends, Video

By collecting customer data at each touchpoint throughout the retail process, high-level analytics are not only changing how retailers relate to shoppers, but also, in the case of Chico’s, increasing customer retention, providing store associate information, and lastly, increasing sales. In a recent interview at Retail’s BIG Show, Jeff Jones, EVP and COO of Chico’s [...]

Posted in: Retail Companies | Retail Trends | Video Tagged Annual 2011, business analytics, Chico's, data analysis, Jeff Jones, retail analytics, Retail's Big Show |

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Jan20

OfficeMax, PETCO and Half Price Books weigh in on Retail Horizons key findings

By Sarah Rand, Senior Director, NRF | Published: January 20, 2011

1 Comment | Posted in Events, Marketing, NRF Foundation, Research, Retail Companies, Retail Trends

For almost a decade, the NRF Foundation’s Retail Horizons has been surveying and analyzing retail executives on strategic initiatives, sales, investments in human resources and technologies, plans for the future, and a host of other topics. During Retail’s BIG Show, the annual Retail Horizons session explored some of these findings and what retailers actually thought [...]

Posted in: Events | Marketing | NRF Foundation | Research | Retail Companies | Retail Trends Tagged Annual 2011, Bruce Besanko, half price books, Herman Nell, Kathy Doyle Thomas, KPMG, Mark Larson, NRF Foundation, OfficeMax, PETCO, Retail Horizons, Retail's Big Show |

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Jan19

“Repeal-and-replace” versus “fixing-and-implementing” health reform

By Neil Trautwein, VP, Health Care | Published: January 19, 2011

Be the first to comment | Posted in Health Care, Public Policy

The House will start voting today on repealing and replacing the health reform law enacted last year. But, in reality, the difference between fixing and implementing isn’t that far from repealing and replacing reform. Really, it’s not. The House will easily pass the repeal-and-replace legislation (H.R. 2 and H. Res. 9), but the Senate will [...]

Posted in: Health Care | Public Policy Tagged affordable health care, congress, congressional debate, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Treasury, employer mandate, H.R. 2, H.R. 9, health care, health care reform, House of Representatives, key vote letter, Obama Administration, regulatory, Senate |

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Jan19

Retail luxury newcomers: who they are and how they shop

By Sarah Rand, Senior Director, NRF | Published: January 19, 2011

Be the first to comment | Posted in Events, Retail Companies

Since Q2 of 2009, luxury fashion spending has outpaced overall fashion spending in the U.S., according to Edmond Jay, who heads up American Express Business Insights. Looking strictly at Generation Y consumers, Jay said, luxury retail actually grew during the recession. Jay moderated a panel on luxury retailing at Retail’s BIG Show last week. Among [...]

Posted in: Events | Retail Companies Tagged American Express, Annual 2011, Cynthia Rowley, Edmond Jay, Generation X, generation Y, ideeli, luxury retailers, Paul Hurley, Peter Arnold, Retail's Big Show |

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Jan14

Dave’s Soda & Pet City owner shares 3 tips for independent retailers

By Sarah Rand, Senior Director, NRF | Published: January 14, 2011

1 Comment | Posted in Events, Retail Companies

Independent retailers often have fascinating back stories – why they opened their first shop or what they were doing right before they jumped into the retail pool. Dave Ratner is no exception. The name of his store, Dave’s Soda & Pet City, often prompts the same first question: soda AND pet supplies? Ratner opened his [...]