Dec22
On January 1, 2012, legislation will go into effect that will dramatically impact the sale of light bulbs in the U.S. We don’t write about light bulbs often (or ever), but because this has been an interesting issue in the media, we thought we’d get the facts on how this new energy-saving policy will impact [...]
Nov18
Ladies and gentlemen, retail has spoken. On Fortune’s coveted Businessperson of the Year list, retail leaders hold four of the top ten spots – more than any other industry. What an incredible testament to the power, ingenuity and leadership among us. Congratulations to these four executives, who were honored by Fortune earlier this week: Howard [...]
Posted in: Retail Companies Tagged Amazon.com, Apple, Burberry, Costco, Dollar Tree, Fortune Magazine, Lululemon, McDonald's, petsmart, Polo Ralph Lauren, Starbucks, TJX, Wal-Mart, Whole Foods |
Nov09
Donating unwanted products to organizations that help people in times of need is undoubtedly a win-win for retailers. But as many companies have found, getting the right products to the right people isn’t always easy. Recipients have to be vetted, distribution has to be arranged, and goods often have to be tracked. Doing this project [...]
Nov01
It’s (officially) the most wonderful time of the year! November 1 marks the beginning of the holiday season, when retailers everywhere strain to get a piece of that $466 billion in U.S. sales. After releasing our holiday sales forecast in early October and distributing our first consumer survey mid-month, we took a look at some [...]
Oct25
Having a top-notch technical team and a dynamic marketing department sure is nice, but, let’s be honest, those luxuries aren’t available to every business – especially small retailers. In this case, though, high-end resources don’t matter as much. Thousands of local businesses across the country are tapping into the huge benefits the online world offers [...]
Sep29
If you haven’t had the chance to take part in NRF’s annual ‘State of the Industry’ survey yet, you’ve got one more week to make sure your organization becomes a part of next year’s widely read report. Retail Horizons: Benchmarks 2011 – Forecasts 2012, a joint project between the NRF Foundation and KPMG, annually assesses [...]
Sep23
As one of the top issues of NRF’s new Jobs, Innovation and Consumer Value agenda, NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay appeared yesterday on Neil Cavuto’s afternoon program to discuss corporate tax reform, calling the current system “badly broken.” The current code hasn’t been revised for a quarter of a century, Shay said, and “there [...]
Sep19
Matthew Shay has been named one of the country’s top trade association CEOs by the publication CEO Update. The prestigious list, which ranks association leaders from all industries and is published in the September edition of CEO Update, considered hundreds of executives. The article highlights the recent swipe fee debate as a particular test for Shay and NRF over [...]
Sep14
We’ve talked a lot over the past few years about companies who are trying to revolutionize their brand through unique marketing or an incredible product. At today’s Shop.org Annual Summit, I heard one of the best case studies of reinvention I’ve heard since, well…maybe Apple. During his keynote, Columbia Sportswear EVP Mick McCormick discussed how [...]
Aug16
Who would have thought ten years ago that you’d be able to order a pizza over the phone…without talking to anybody. That was the goal of Pizza Hut executives – which have “a history of taking calculated risks” – said company Chief Information and Digital Officer Baron Concors at a session at the National Retail [...]
