Industry Watch

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H&M CEO confirms plan to open 240 stores
Karl-Johan Persson, CEO at Hennes & Mauritz, said the company does indeed plan to launch 240 new stores this year because he expects the economy to be "a little better" than it was last year. "2010 will be a challenging year for the economy and somewhat better than 2009," Persson said. The retailer is planning to invest in Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece, he said. Bloomberg (3/10)

Drugstore.com CEO to pursue acquisitions
Dawn Lepore, chief executive officer at Drugstore.com, said she is interested in acquisitions to bolster the firm's core businesses, including beauty products and vitamins. "I want to take over businesses that are in our sweet spots," Lepore said. "Acquisitions should be an ongoing part of our strategy." Bloomberg Businessweek (3/11)

Abercrombie to continue cutting prices
Teen-apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch plans to continue discounting throughout the spring, in an effort to boost sales. The chain, which also operates Hollister and Gilly Hicks stores, reversed its long-standing full-price policy after several months of declining sales. The Wall Street Journal (3/10)

Material Girl and Macy's partner on new juniors line
Madonna and daughter Lourdes are adding their names to a new line of apparel and accessories set to launch at Macy's in time for back-to-school shopping. "Material Girl" branded products will sell for between $12 and $40. American City Business Journals/Cincinnati (3/10) The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (3/10)

Gymboree to expand in Middle East
Gymboree has signed a franchisee to open its children's clothing stores in the Middle East, beginning with Dubai locations slated to open later this year. The San Francisco-based chain is working with franchise partner Azadea G Group, whose parent company operates 350 stores in 11 Middle East countries. American City Business Journals/San Francisco (3/10)

Retail Trends

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Luxury brands take store look and feel online
Upscale fashion brands are creating interactive Web sites that increasingly mirror the in-store experiences that luxury shoppers expect. As online shopping continues to increase, fashion houses are also using video and social-media sites to reach customers. "If it is done well, the Web can convey a luxury atmosphere even better than traditional media," said Michele Norsa, CEO of Florentine maison Salvatore Ferragamo. Reuters (3/11)

Ski retailers are betting on second successful season
California's small ski retailers, buoyed by a stellar snow season, are stocking up for next year and praying for more of the white stuff. Every winter counts for the little guys, who are struggling against increased competition from bigger players -- 135 specialty snow-sports stores closed last year, up from 71 in 2006, according to an industry trade association. The Wall Street Journal (3/11)

Retail Technology

Accuracy is more important than speed in mobile-coupon race
Retail giant Target ramped up its mobile efforts with the launch this week of scannable coupons delivered to mobile phones. It may seem like mobile coupons are quickly becoming a must for retailers, but data from Forrester Research reveal that only a very small portion of the shopping population has adopted the technology. A Forrester analyst advises merchants to take the time to plan carefully before launching mobile coupons. MediaPost Communications/MoBlog (3/10)

Policy & Government Affairs

Cuba considers returning to some form of private enterprise
In 1968, Cuba nationalized all of its retail enterprises, but the country is considering returning to some form of private enterprise to stimulate its struggling economy. The Cuban government is dipping its toe in by leasing retail services to state employees. "We have begun experiments and are working on others to ease the burden on the state of some services it provides," said Economy Minister Marino Murillo. Reuters (3/10)

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NRF News

Share your key takeaways from Innovate 2010
In a recent blog post, NRF's Ellen Davis shares her favorite sessions from last week's Retail Innovation & Marketing Conference and outlines top takeaways for retailers from the event. See all of the blog posts from last week's conference and share your favorite insights. Read more. Blank (3/11)

NRF SmartStat: March 11, 2010
The number of companies that say they monitor customer satisfaction declined in 2009 from 74% to 71%. Source: Retail Horizons 2010

Want to get State of Retailing Online results by category? Here's how
The State of Retailing Online, Shop.org's annual survey conducted by Forrester Research, is being conducted. This year's survey will focus on issues at the top of every retailer's mind including social media and mobile, without forgetting about fundamentals such as online marketing and multichannel management. To make this research truly relevant, Shop.org is attempting to report the aggregated results by category and sector. To achieve this goal, we need a minimum of 10 retailers in each category to participate. Learn more. Blank (3/9)

Chain Restaurant News

Panera will list calorie counts on menus nationwide
Panera Bread has announced a plan to post calorie counts in all its U.S. company-owned restaurants, making it the first chain to voluntarily include the information in states and cities where it's not yet required by law. A provision in the pending federal health care bill, supported by the National Restaurant Association, would make other chains follow suit. The NRF's National Council of Chain Restaurants is staying neutral on the provision, out of fairness concerns. Bay News 9 (Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.)/The Associated Press (3/10) American City Business Journals/St. Louis (3/10)

Starbucks launches tea drinks in China
Starbucks has officially entered China's massive tea-drinks market with the launch of nine kinds of tea drinks, including a couple of handmade specialty drinks. The launch is in response to local consumers' demands, according to Huang Limin, an executive at Starbucks Greater China. The company plans to expand its line of tea drinks after the initial rollout. ChinaRetailNews.com (3/11)

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