Most Clicked NRF Global SmartBrief Stories
1. Ann Taylor to open first Canada stores this fall
NRF Global SmartBrief | May 25, 2012
New York-based women's apparel retailer Ann Taylor will open two stores in Toronto this fall, the latest US retailer to add Canada stores as an integral part of its global expansion plans. Several others, including J.Crew, Express and Marshalls, have recently opened their first Canada stores. Canada.com (24 May.)
2. Sears Canada bets on cool factor to bring shoppers back
NRF Global SmartBrief | May 25, 2012
Sears Canada is taking lessons from successful fast-fashion specialty stores and ramping up the "cool" factor of its apparel offerings to bring in new customers and reignite excitement among its existing customer base, said CEO Calvin McDonald. "I want Sears to be noticed. I want people to know we’re here to fight – we’re not going away." Globe and Mail (Toronto), The (25 May.)
3. Global merchants find opportunities to fill vacant US mall space
NRF Global SmartBrief | May 23, 2012
Japan's Uniqlo has signed a lease to open a store in a former Old Navy space at Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus, N.J., and plans to add between 20 and 30 new stores at US malls in the next eight years. Uniqlo is one of several international retailers including Massimo Dutti, Topshop and Yves St. Laurent that are finding expansion opportunities as US retailers scale back their brick-and-mortar spaces. New York Times (tiered subscription model), The (22 May.)
4. Body Shop turns to "entertailing" to keep shoppers in store
NRF Global SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
Body Shop has invested heavily in turning its retail stores into an experience designed to keep customers in the store longer, with interactive features from story telling to hand massages. “We found that the average amount of time a consumer spends in our prototype stores has doubled, from an average of five minutes to more than 10," said executive chairwoman Sophie Gasperment. Globe and Mail (Toronto), The (28 May.)
5. H&M pushes for more stable conditions in Bangladesh
NRF Global SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
H&M sources about 25% of its fashions from factories in Bangladesh and aims to increase that figure, but the Swedish retailer is worried about the periodic political and labor unrest that has been known to disrupt production. The company said it's using its growing influence to convince manufacturers to improve working conditions. "We are big buyers in Bangladesh and we want to take greater responsibility for working conditions there," said CEO Karl-Johan Persson. Wall Street Journal, The (28 May.)
6. New private-label products beat big brands
NRF Global SmartBrief | May 23, 2012
Private labels and store brands accounted for 54% of new products introduced at grocery stores in 2011, the first time so-called "own labels" have introduced more new items than big-name brands, according to Mintel. The research also found that 57% of consumers say own-label goods are better than they used to be and 52% prefer them to premium brands. Daily Mail (London), The (23 May.)
7. Nielsen: Organised retail on the rise in India
NRF Global SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
India's consumers spend about $450 billion a year on shopping, but only about 6% of that is spent at modern, organised retail outlets, according to Nielsen. That number is growing in parts of the country, with New Delhi leading the way. “As shoppers in these geographies awake to the possibilities that modern-format outlets bring, this is only likely to gain momentum,” the report says. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (25 May.)
8. Warm March gives Canada's retail sales a boost
NRF Global SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
Retail sales in Canada rose 0.4% in March, driven largely by warmer-than-usual weather that spurred sales of building materials, gardening equipment, apparel, footwear and sporting goods, according to Statistics Canada. The increase followed a 0.2% decline in February, the agency said Wednesday. Fox Business (23 May.)
9. Tesco CEO forgoes bonus amid sales slump
NRF Global SmartBrief | May 23, 2012
Wall Street Journal, The (22 May.)
10. One Kings Lane CEO shares which retail trends will sink or swim
NRF Global SmartBrief | May 23, 2012
Today's hot topics in retail include all things mobile, tablet, social and flash. But not all efforts in these spaces will flourish over the next few years. In a Shop.org Q&A, One Kings Lane CEO Doug Mack shares his views on innovation, embracing technology and optimizing customer experience -- and how to ensure efforts in the mobile, tablet, social and flash arenas succeed. Read the Q&A. Shop.org Blog (04 Jan.)
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