Most Clicked NRF SmartBrief Stories
1. Study: Which retailers have the best customer service?
NRF SmartBrief | Nov 17, 2009
A survey from the National Retail Federation and American Express found that Amazon provides top-notch customer service. More than 8,500 respondents were asked about the customer service provided by retailers. Kohl's, Nordstrom, Coldwater Creek, Overstock.com and Zappos also made the top 10. The study shows the importance of direct-to-consumer sales as most of the companies that made the top 10 list do not have retail stores. TheStreet.com (11/16)
2. Wal-Mart factors in cash flow for suppliers
NRF SmartBrief | Nov 16, 2009
Wal-Mart's new "Supplier Alliance Program" gives vendors an option for getting paid in 10 to 15 days compared with the 60-to-90 day cycle that's more typical in retail. To offset changes wrought by the bankruptcy filing of CIT, a lender to thousands of small suppliers, Wal-Mart has worked out a deal for its lenders to buy suppliers' invoices under a practice called factoring. Wall Street Journal, The (11/14)
3. J.C. Penney quits catalogs to focus on online sales
NRF SmartBrief | Nov 19, 2009
CNBC (11/18)
4. NRF Foundation announces top 10 retailers for customer service
NRF SmartBrief | Nov 16, 2009
The NRF Foundation, NRF's research and education arm, has announced the top 10 finalists selected by shoppers in the annual NRF Foundation/American Express Customers' Choice survey. The survey, which asked 8,526 shoppers which retailer provides the best customer service, was conducted by BIGresearch. See who made the cut. Blank (11/16)
5. Urban Outfitters may grow through brand acquisition
NRF SmartBrief | Nov 19, 2009
Urban Outfitters is considering acquiring brands sold at department stores and specialty shops, a move that could add $500 million to the top line over time. CFO John Kyees declined to name any brands under consideration, but did say they would have to be lines that don't compete with the retailer's existing brands, such as Anthropologie and Free People. Last year, the company bought garden products and outdoor furniture company J. Franklin Styer Nurseries Inc., the only acquisition in Urban Outfitters' 39-year history. Bloomberg (11/18)
6. Old Navy's new look likely to boost Gap
NRF SmartBrief | Nov 19, 2009
While other low-priced apparel retailers have done relatively well during the recession, Gap-owned Old Navy stores haven't seen the same success. The chain is working to reverse the slide by going back to its fleece and T-shirt roots and competing with big-box discounters by stocking a larger assortment of colors and styles. Wall Street Journal, The (11/18)
7. Retailers get wild and crazy with holiday windows
NRF SmartBrief | Nov 19, 2009
Live (sort of) from Barneys New York -- it's Saturday night! All season long, in fact. This year, the retailer known for its innovative holiday window displays is capitalizing on the buzz created by "Saturday Night Live's" 35th Anniversary to lighten the mood for stressed-out shoppers. John Belushi's Killer Bee, Gilda Radner's Roseanne Roseannadanna and Chris Kattan's Mango are all represented. Retailers across the country are getting more creative with their windows this year, in the hopes of driving traffic. Yahoo! (11/18)
8. Target keeping expectations in check
NRF SmartBrief | Nov 18, 2009
Shoppers began coming back to Target last quarter, but not in droves. The company, which reported its first quarterly profit increase in two years this week, will open stores an hour early on Black Friday and plans to match competitors' bargains this season. Still, the retailer is sticking to modest predictions. "Right now, we're expecting [holiday sales] somewhere in the neighborhood of flat," says CEO Gregg Steinhafel. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) (11/18)
9. Neiman Marcus uses children's energy on holiday display
NRF SmartBrief | Nov 16, 2009
When Neiman Marcus unveils an interactive holiday display at its Dallas store on Friday, six local children may recognize the fruits of their labor. Based on creative essays from 7-, 8- and 9-year-olds, the energy factory display will allow children to enter from the outside and tour the facility through an 85-foot-long tube. Parents will watch from the street as their offspring view peanut-powered flying elephants and grape-stomping monkeys that levitate. Dallas Morning News, The (11/15)
10. Abercrombie accedes to bargain-hunting consumers
NRF SmartBrief | Nov 20, 2009
After years of declining to trade status for sales growth, high-end teen retailer Abercrombie & Fitch is marking down its trendy apparel in an attempt to stem declines and bring young customers back to its racks. As competitors cut prices last year in the face of a declining economy, Abercrombie, concerned about the long-term effects on its brand, held fast to its higher price tags. The result has been eight quarters of same-store sales declines, capped by a 22% drop in the most recent period. BusinessWeek (11/19)
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