Top Story

• Off-duty Kohl's LP officer helped foil ID theft ring
  More details emerged from last year's arrests of three men who led a nationwide identity theft and check counterfeiting spree that netted them $370,000 from fraudulent payroll checks cashed at Wal-Mart. The three men, who have since plead guilty, were caught at a Brooks Brothers store in Tilton, N.H., when a Kohl's loss-prevention officer who was on vacation happened to be in line behind them when the clerk questioned their IDs. Portland Press Herald (Maine)/The Associated Press (12/9)     

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Industry Watch

• Amazon continues veteran recruitment effort
  Amazon launched a military talent program two years ago to actively recruit veterans to staff its growing web of distribution centers, and this year has added 600 to the ranks. "Those leadership skills are what Amazon is looking for," said 27-year military veteran and fulfillment center employee Scot Newport, who once commanded up to 15,000 troops. The Seattle Times/The Associated Press (12/9)     

• What went wrong with Fresh & Easy?
  Tesco did two years of intensive research into the U.S. market before opening its first Fresh & Easy stores, but the U.K.-based chain then ignored some of the key findings, analysts say. Also to blame for the chain's failure to thrive: difficulties securing the right locations, ramped up competition by Wal-Mart and, most of all, the timing of the sub-prime crisis and the global downturn that followed. The Guardian (London) (12/8)     

• Other News

• Lane Bryant debuts Lane Collection at 11 stores
  American City Business Journals/Columbus, Ohio (12/7)     

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Retail Trends

• November brings new round of retail hiring
  The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 7.7% in November as companies added 146,000 jobs, with retailers doing a significant amount of the hiring, according to the Labor Department. Apparel and accessories retailers added 33,300 workers, and general merchandise stores -- including department stores -- hired 9,600. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (12/7)     

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Retail Technology

• GameStop stores to start selling Kindle Fire
  Amazon's Kindle Fire tablets are going on sale at GameStop stores. Target and Wal-Mart stopped selling the Amazon devices earlier this year amid concerns about competition in other areas. ZDNet (12/8)     

Main Street

• Can retail start-ups laugh their way to higher sales?
  Online retailers range from largely utilitarian selling sites such as Amazon and eBay to nimbler content-driven competitors including One Kings Lane and ASOS, but none have begun to bring in the kind of entertainment and humor that's likely to keep customers shopping, writes analyst Michael Phillips Moskowitz. He advises retail start-ups to take a lesson from "The Daily Show." Entrepreneur online (12/8)     

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by NRF SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• Which digital trends will drive retail in 2013? (STORES magazine)

• Spanx debuts dedicated stores at U.S. malls (Bloomberg Businessweek)

• Why Patagonia asks its customers to buy fewer products (FastCoExist)

• Penney's new look puts mannequins front and center (The Baltimore Sun)

• Target bets on high-end holiday partnership (CNBC)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Policy & Government Affairs

• "Fiscal cliff" steepest for low-income consumers
  Low-income consumers and the retailers that serve them are likely to take the biggest hit if the 2010 payroll tax cuts are allowed to expire, say analysts and retail executives. Dollar stores could see same-store sales drop 1% to 2% as discretionary spending drops 6% for those making less than $40,000, according to Morgan Stanley. The Wall Street Journal (12/7)     

Sponsored Content

NRF News

• Learn from Mango's winning multinational expansion strategy
  To successfully expand into new markets, retailers need innovative concepts that exceed customer expectations in the global arena. In a keynote at Retail’s BIG Show, Jan. 13 to 16 in New York, Mango’s SVP of Business Development Jose Gomez will share lessons learned in the Spanish apparel retailer’s path to multinational growth, which has resulted in the opening of thousands of stores across 107 countries worldwide. Learn more.     

• NRF SmartStat: Dec. 10, 2012
  Almost two-thirds of retail loss prevention executives said wardrobing, or the return of used, non-defective merchandise like special occasion apparel and certain electronics, has impacted their stores in the last year. Source: NRF survey conducted by BIGinsight.     

• How the "connected store" concept enhances the in-store experience
  To fully roll out connected store capabilities across a large network requires the right infrastructure across technology, process and people. As Jim Okamura explains in a recent interview on the Shop.org blog, the four types of emerging connected store concepts are slowly becoming more commonplace across the world, as well as the benefits of digitally integrated retail operations to drive sales and create a more empowered workforce. Read more. Shop.org Blog (12/7)     

Chain Restaurant News

• Starbucks touts big plans for Teavana
  Starbucks is on track to complete its $620 million acquisition of tea company Teavana, despite skepticism from some analysts. Starbucks sees growth potential with new, urban tea shops modeled after the company's coffee shops and opportunities to drive customers to both brands by combining loyalty programs and social and mobile efforts, said CEO Howard Schultz. The Wall Street Journal (12/9)     

Position Title Company Name Location Oracle Retail Technical Consultant Oracle America, Inc. Nationwide, United States E-Commerce Analyst Burlington Coat Factory Burlington, NJ District Manager Francesca's Collections Raleigh, NC Oracle Retail Business Consultant Oracle America, Inc. Nationwide, United States Director, Merchandising Operations REI Kent, WA ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER OF MERCHANDISING SAKS FIFTH AVENUE Costa Mesa , CA ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER OF MERCHANDISING SAKS FIFTH AVENUE Palm Desert, CA E-Commerce Merchant Kohl's Department Stores Milwaukee / Menomonee Falls, WI Manager, Vendor Management PetSmart Phoenix, AZ 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 Senior Supply Chain Solutions Systems Analyst PetSmart Phoenix, AZ Director, Event Licensing & Direct to Retail Viacom New York, NY Retail Customer Inventory & Planning Manager LEGO Systems, Inc Enfield, CT Director of Store Systems/Applications The Vitamin Shoppe North Bergen, NJ Replenishment Systems Manager Vitamin Shoppe North Bergen , NJ Director- Financial Planning & Analysis Burlington Coat Factory Burlington, NJ Director of Payroll Burlington Coat Factory Burlington, NJ Strategic Sourcing Manager - Indirect Categories Ross Stores Inc. Pleasanton, CA

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SmartQuote

Alas for those that never sing, But die with all their music in them." --Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., American physician, writer and poet