Monthly Archives: February 2011

Feb28

Network optimization remains a supply chain challenge

By Jon Gold, VP, Supply Chain | Published: February 28, 2011

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

Just as 2010 brought many challenges and opportunities for retail supply chains, we believe 2011 will do the same. The strong growth we saw in 2010 has retailers cautiously optimistic that the economic recovery is finally taking hold. However, this does not mean retailers or their customers are fully out of the woods yet. One [...]

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Feb23

Retailers discuss leadership, customers and competing channels

By Sarah Rand, Senior Director, NRF | Published: February 23, 2011

1 Comment | Posted in Events, Retail Companies, Retail Trends, Video

During last month’s NRF Annual Convention & EXPO, Terry Lundgren, President and CEO of Macy’s, Inc., moderated an all-star panel of fellow retail leaders. Answering such questions as “what’s the next big breakthrough?” and “what do great leaders have in common?”, the retailers combed through their careers to share insights during the session, The Future [...]

Posted in: Events | Retail Companies | Retail Trends | Video Tagged Annual 2011, Ben Fischman, Bernie Brennan, Bobbie Lenga, eCommerce, email, future of retail, Gilt, Gilt Groupe, Gordon Segal, HSN, Kevin Ryan, leadership, Macy's, Mindy Grossman, Montgomery Ward, multichannel retail, personalization, retail catalogs, Retail's Big Show, Rue La La, Russell Reynolds Associates, Terry Lundgren |

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Feb22

2010′s most creative and innovative retail advertisements named

By Kathy Grannis, NRF spokesperson | Published: February 22, 2011

1 Comment | Posted in Events, Marketing

Sometimes commercials and other forms of advertisements cause such a stir, it becomes a natural conversation topic anywhere you go. It’s quite common these days to be chatting with a colleague and somewhere along the way a certain funny, gripping, controversial, emotional or dynamic commercial or ad gets mentioned. Retailers often aim for that exact reaction – will this [...]

Posted in: Events | Marketing Tagged AutoTrader, Best Buy, BIGresearch, Express, Fashion Bug, For Eyes, Innovate, Innovate 11, JCPenney, Kohl's, Macy's, OfficeMax, Racie, Racie awards, Sears, Target, The Home Depot, Toys R Us |

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Feb17

Steve Madden customer experience exec talks “art and science” of retailing

By Margaret Case Little, Director, Communications | Published: February 17, 2011

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

To Andrew Koven, the practice of retailing is “both a science and an art.” From his retail beginnings in a warehouse to his current gig as President of E-Commerce and Customer Experience at Steve Madden, Andrew Koven’s career goal has never changed. He still aspires every day to “surprise and delight customers.” In advance of [...]

Posted in: eCommerce | Events | Marketing | Retail Companies | Technology Tagged Apple, Best Buy, consumers, Customer Experience, Facebook, Ford Motors, Four Seasons, Geico, grocery stores, Innovate 11, mobile retail, Nordstrom, online, Southwest Airlines, Starbucks, Steve Madden, Trader Joes, twitter, Whole Foods |

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Feb14

ICE announces expansion of ORC pilot program

By Joe LaRocca, Senior Asset Protection Advisor | Published: February 14, 2011

2 Comments | Posted in Loss Prevention

Last Friday, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) announced the expansion of its Organized Retail Crime Pilot Program into an ongoing, national initiative, which will be known as the SEARCH initiative (Seizing Earnings and Assets from Retail Crime Heists). The Organized Retail Crime Pilot Program (ORCP), which launched on July [...]

Posted in: Loss Prevention Tagged anti-money laundering statutes, case tracking, ICE HSI, James Dinkins, Kevin Tyrell, organized crime rings, Organized Retail Crime pilot program, retail partnerships, SEARCH Initiative, threat assessment, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement |

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Feb11

Partnerships critical to supply chain success

By Jon Gold, VP, Supply Chain | Published: February 11, 2011

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

While 2010 was a year of recovery for parts of the U.S. economy and the retail sector in particular, it was also fraught with significant challenges, especially for those involved in supply chain operations. Retailers faced many issues in 2010 that challenged their ability to bring products to market, including a lack of available capacity [...]

Posted in: Retail Companies | Sustainability | Video Tagged Charming Shoppes, Dan Mueller, Global Supply Chain Summit, Inside the Supply Chain, Kohl's, Laurie Everill, ocean carriers, partnerships, retail supply chain, Supply Chain '11, transpacific trade lanes |

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Feb10

The (neccessary) audacity of dissent

By Neil Trautwein, VP, Health Care | Published: February 10, 2011

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

I testified yesterday before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce concerning the effect of the health care law on the economy, employers and the workforce. You can find my testimony along with others on the committee’s website and even watch the archived committee hearing webcast. It is always an honor to testify before [...]

Posted in: Health Care | Public Policy Tagged congress, Congressional testimony, Economy, employer mandate, employer mandate penalty, health care, health care reform, House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Mandate Cost Calculator, NRF, Obama Administration, webcast |

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Feb10

Preparing for the consumer economy of 2020

By Margaret Case Little, Director, Communications | Published: February 10, 2011

3 Comments | Posted in Events, Research, Retail Trends

Despite all the benchmarking, researching and strategizing carried out by retailers, putting together a forward plan for anything more than a few years ahead can sometimes seem like more of an exercise in crystal ball gazing than actual business planning. However, that’s not to say retailers can ignore the need for some long term thinking. [...]

Posted in: Events | Research | Retail Trends Tagged Africa, Annual 2011, business planning, Colombia, consumer engagement, consumers, Deloitte, Deloitte Research, emerging currencies, emerging markets, Europe, GDP, Germany, global food market, global retail, global retail trends, India, Indonesia, Ira Kalish, Ireland, Middle East, obesity, Portugal, Retail's Big Show, Spain, United Kingdom |

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Feb08

Washington Post columnist weighs in on the real cost of swipe fees

By Margaret Case Little, Director, Communications | Published: February 8, 2011

1 Comment | Posted in Public Policy

NRF has been very clear about where it stands on swipe fees. But in Saturday’s Washington Post business section, the fight against swipe fees found an interesting ally: columnist Steven Pearlstein. In his column titled, “Credit card companies figure out how to spin straw into gold,” Pearlstein paints a clear picture of credit card company [...]

Posted in: Public Policy Tagged Durbin Amendment, Federal Reserve, House Subcommittee on Financial Institutions, mastercard, Steven Pearlstein, swipe fees, visa, Washington Post |

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Feb08

The industry honors three retail legends

By Sarah Rand, Senior Director, NRF | Published: February 8, 2011

2 Comments | Posted in @NRF, Events, Retail Companies

During this year’s Annual Retail Industry Luncheon, Gordon Segal, co-founder of Crate and Barrel, presented three distinguished awards to retailers that stand out among their peers. Selected by retail chief executives, the winners – past and present – have demonstrated excellence in the industry and inspired fellow retailers. Segal said that these winners are “tomorrow’s [...]