Retailing Today articles from December 2007

Retailing Today archives from December 2007

Industry roundup: all indications point to a rough 2008.
December 10, 2007... RT NATIONWIDE REPORT -- Hope springs eternal this time of year, which is a good thing for a retail industry that has an opportunity to exceed low expectations of sales growth if consumers can push aside waning confidence in the economy,...

High-definition DVD issue looms over CES.
December 10, 2007... LOS ANGELES -- Not long ago, some analysts expected the high-definition DVD format war to be over by now, with either HD-DVD or Blu-ray burying the other. But 18 months after the two technologies debuted, there's no end in sight to the war,...

Restoration in sight for Sears?(Restoration Hardware Inc. planning to acquire Sears Holdings Corp.)
December 10, 2007... HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILL. -- The move by Restoration Hardware's board of directors in late November to ask Sears Holdings--and by extension its boss Edward Lampert--to sign a confidentiality and standstill agreement is a tried tactic that can be...

Blockbuster attempting to go mobile.(MARKET WATCH)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... DALLAS -- Blockbuster is in talks with all the major mobile phone makers about partnerships aimed at making it easier for consumers to watch movies on-the-go. Blockbuster has been looking for new ways to expand its business as consumers have...

Latest dollar prez coin makes its debut.(MARKET WATCH)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Mint launched the latest installment to its series of circulating $1 coins, featuring former presidents in the order in which they served. The George Washington coin arrived in retailers' hands on Feb. 15 and this...

Top gainers: for 2 weeks ended 11/28/07.(MARKET WATCH)
December 10, 2007... TOP GAINERS For 2 weeks ended 11/28/07 Hastings Entertainment 25.76% Amazon.com 15.02 PetSmart 10.96 Jo-Ann Stores 10.57 Supervalu 9.97

Top losers: for 2 weeks ended 11/28/07.(MARKET WATCH)
December 10, 2007... TOP LOSERS For 2 weeks ended 11/28/07 Kirkland's Inc. (33.20%) Charming Shoppes (20.90) Pep Boys (20.35) Stein Mart (15.74) Rex Stores (12.49)

Major indices.(MARKET WATCH)
December 10, 2007... MAJOR INDICES Close Close Net % 11/14/07 11/28/07 Change Change Retailing Today Composite * 2621.58 2618.78 (2.80) (0.11%) Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) 13305.47...

Stocks bought.(INSIDER TRADES)
December 10, 2007... BORDERS: George Jones, officer, bought 50,000 shares on Nov. 23 at $11.62, now owns 171,184 shares. GOTTSCHALKS: Dale Achabal, director, bought 2,000 shares on Nov. 21 at $3.66, now owns 4,000 shares. OFFICE DEPOT: Marsha Evans,...

Stocks sold.(INSIDER TRADES)
December 10, 2007... PUBLIX: Mark Irby, officer, sold 3,291 shares on Nov. 21 at $20.80, now owns 12,355 shares. EBAY: Margaret Whitman, officer, sold 320,000 shares on Nov. 16 at $32.45, now owns 25,665,934 shares. CVS: Jean Pierre Millon, director,...

New formats alter food landscape.
December 10, 2007... LAS VEGAS AND SAN DIEGO -- The introduction of Tesco's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market concept in Southern California and Las Vegas, and the opening of a Wal-Mart supercenter prototype with an upgraded food presentation near Dallas, left the...

Panel: tough year ahead for retailers.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... NEW YORK -- The year 2008 is going to be very, very bad for retailers, said a panel of analysts from StreetBrains LLC, an independent investment research consortium, at a press event on Nov. 29. Among the troubles will be energy prices...

Jackson into driver's seat at Advance Auto.(appointment of Darren Jackson as the president of Advance Stores Company Inc.)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... ROANOKE, VA. -- Darren Jackson, currently evp of customer operating groups for Best Buy, will be joining Advance Auto Parts as president and ceo effective Jan. 7, 2008. Jackson, who has been a member of the Advance Auto Parts board of...

Kohl's lands Fila exclusive partnership.(licencing agreement between Kohl's Corp. and Fila Athletic Footwear U.S.A.)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... NEW YORK -- Kohl's and Fila Luxembourg have entered a multiyear licensing agreement, naming Kohl's as the exclusive U.S. retailer for FILA Sport. The collection features women's, men's and children's apparel, along with footwear and...

A&P uncorks new food and beverage merch pairings.(Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Inc.)
December 10, 2007... MONTVALE, N.J. -- A&P has been shaking up its food business, but now the supermarket operator is turning its attention to beverages, which will play a more concerted role in its pitch to consumers. The retailer is putting forth an effort to...

Success lies in knowing what sets it apart.(RETAILER OF THE YEAR: JCPenney)
December 10, 2007... In the short three years that Ken Hicks, president and chief merchandising officer, stands at the helm of JCPenney, the company has been driving up the path lauded by consumers and analysts alike. In the true spirit of Hicks' leadership,...

Getting on board with 'Boom'-ing fashion trends.
December 10, 2007... NEW YORK -- Do a Google search for 'baby boomer' and dose to two million results appear, ranging from health care, retirement, My Space... the list goes on. As of 2005, the baby boomer generation has a population that surpasses 78 million,...

Office Depot rewrites plans to improve operations.
December 10, 2007... DELRAY BEACH, FLA. -- This was a year Office Depot would like to forget. Weak results in the first quarter were followed by an even more disappointing performance during the second quarter as profits declined, same-store sales dropped 5%...

Apparel retailers freshen up merchandise with beauty offerings.
December 10, 2007... NEW YORK -- In the retail world, when one thinks of November, Black Friday comes to mind as the ultimate attraction on the calendar. However, a few apparel companies have released statements announcing an expansion into beauty enticing...

Online poll results.(WHAT'S NEW ONLINE)
December 10, 2007... IT'S WHOSE TO LOSE? (Poll results collected from Nov. 6 to Nov 29) Q: WHICH RETAILER STANDS TO SUFFER THE MOST IF TESCO SUCCEEDS IN THE UNITED STATES. Wal-Mart 34% Kroger 15% Safeway 13% Trader...

Moving the needle on satisfaction.(Editorial)
December 10, 2007... Like, a moth to a flame, I took the time again this year to experience America's single greatest consumer-driven display of free-market madness by rising out of my quasi-comatose, tryptophan-induced post-Thanksgiving-meal sleep, strapping on...

Schism still wide between unions, labor.(Opinion)(Viewpoint essay)
December 10, 2007... When union leaders lay out grand schemes for a revival of organized labor, business treats them like over-the-hill pro athletes promising to make a comeback. There are some incredulous scoffs, plenty of embarrassed eye rolls and few...

Readers speak out.(Talk Back)
December 10, 2007... CE DIALOGUE: DO YOU PLAN TO BUY A HIGH-DEFINITION DVD PLAYER EITHER FOR YOURSELF OR AS A GIFT THIS FALL? Based on responses collected 11/7 through 11/30 "Yes, quite possibly for my father for Christmas."--Angela FOOD DIALOGUE:...

Safeway takes cancer battle on the road.(Connecting with the Community: Profiles of Public Service)
December 10, 2007... Many vendors have done their bit to support breast cancer charities, particularly through partnerships with the Susan G. Komen Foundation. However, retailers are doing their part, too, and Safeway has developed a program designed to improve...

Maternity fashion a new labor of love.(apparel & accessories: WOMEN'S WEAR UPDATE)
December 10, 2007... The maternity powerhouse Mothers Work, which includes Motherhood, Mimi Maternity and A pea in the pod, makes apparel that makes women wish they were pregnant. "The trend in maternity is that you are never specifically calling out maternity,"...

Gap Inc.(RETAILER NEWS)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Gap Inc. is partnering with accessory designer Pierre Hardy to create a collection of women's shoes in its U.S. stores. The line includes chunky platforms, elegant flats and delicate sandals priced from $78 to $98. Customers will be able to...

Talbots.(RETAILER NEWS)(Financial report)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Talbots announced a net loss of $9.4 million, or 18 cents per share, for the third quarter ended Nov. 3, compared to a net income of $8.1 million, or 15 cents per share, for the same period last year. Total consolidated sales for the 13-week...

Liz Lange Maternity.(VENDOR NEWS)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... In order to expand, Liz Lange Maternity sold a majority stake to private-equity fund Bluestar Alliance. As Bluestar plans to make it a $1 billion business, the brand plans to develop new categories that include accessories, jewelry,...

Cropping up.(WHAT'S HOT)
December 10, 2007... Cropped pants are making as much of a splash in the maternity department as on the missy floor--becoming one of the staple, year-round items in the mommy-to-be wardrobe. "We are getting lots of interest in the variety in the alternative...

Williams-Sonoma.(RETAILER NEWS)(Financial report)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Williams-Sonoma posted net revenues for the third quarter of fiscal year 2007 of $895.1 million, up 5%, but diluted earnings per share remained unchanged at 25 cents, compared with the third quarter of fiscal year 2006. Comparable-store sales...

Sears Canada has made a payment of $1.73 million to Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia to settle a royalties dispute.(RETAILER NEWS)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Sears Canada has made a payment of $1.73 million to Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia to settle a royalties dispute. Martha wants more, however. MSLO filed a lawsuit against the retailer claiming unpaid royalties worth $1.82 million Canadian,...

Hollander Home Fashions.(EXECUTIVE NEWS)(appointment of Beth Mack )(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Hollander Home Fashions has promoted Beth Mack from basic bedding division vp to chief merchandising officer, giving her responsibility for leading the company's business managers and art department. Also, Hollander has promoted Amy Webster...

Storage to the rescue.(WHAT'S HOT)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Storage is evolving to solve today's lifestyle dilemmas. If it's true that housing is in such turmoil that moving isn't in the cards, consumers are going to have to make the most of the space they have. One area of housewares that has become...

Less is more in tabletop trends.(HOUSEWARES UPDATE)
December 10, 2007... Tabletop has been among the categories most impacted by the recent years of turmoil in housewares, whether by deflation, fashion, changes in retail merchandising or consumer tastes. Some of what's happening with tabletop today provides...

Youth are going CE wild and manufacturers are delivering.(hardlines)
December 10, 2007... Digital cameras, MP3 players and laptop computers were once considered toys for adults. Not anymore. Now, a three-year-old has an option to snap family photos, courtesy of the Fisher-Price Kid-Tough digital camera ($69.99). When a child wants...

Playing in tune.(WHAT'S HOT)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Music-related products have always been popular in the toy crowd, but when Hannah Montana and High School Musical licensed products came on the scene, the popularity of guitars and karaoke machines developed a tune of their own. These...

Flash-y gizmos.(ACCESSORIES)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... As kids continue to fill their rooms with laptop computers, digital cameras and MP3 players, the need for organizing all the multimedia is growing. USB storage devices become a vital component when it comes to sharing and transporting music...

Toy industry leads new awareness charge.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Toy safety has generally been high on customers' radar, but after more than 25 million toy and children's items were recalled earlier this year, both retailers and manufacturers are faced with higher expectations by the public. Retailers...

Tesco.(RETAILER NEWS)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Tesco's first Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market in San Diego County will be located in the town of Chula Vista. The store is one of 122 announced locations to date, with 50 set to open by the end of February 2008 in Southern California,...

Price Chopper.(RETAILER NEWS)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Price Chopper has identified 30 sites in the Northeast for potential development over the next three to four years, with four new stores set to open this year, along with three major expansions and two replacements. The developments will take...

Pathmark.(RETAILER NEWS)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Pathmark has entered into a deal with software and content provider Grocery Shopping Network that will help it provide customers with online enhancements, including the ability to view circular ads and in-store promotions via its Web site....

Ahold.(EXECUTIVE NEWS)(appointment of John Rishton )(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Ahold has appointed John Rishton as its president and ceo. Rishton had been acting president and ceo since July. Kimberly Ross, currently deputy cfo, will succeed Rishton as cfo.

Whetting your water.(WHAT'S HOT)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Good ol' bottled water is getting the equivalent of a slapstick comedy spit shot these days, with critics claiming it isn't all its supposed to be. Yet, beverage producers are fighting back. Even Anheuser-Busch, which knows its way...

Int'l flavor adds exotic flair to condiments.(GROCERY UPDATE)(SUPERVALU Inc.)(international)
December 10, 2007... Flavors are driving food consumption today, as well as food retailing in particular. Combine that with the consumer demand for more convenience and the future of the condiment segment becomes clear. It's certainly clear to A&P, which has...

A dash of spice.(ON THE SIDE)(Pace Advertising)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Greg Dolan, senior brand manager for Pace, noted that a new generation of condiments has taken the stage, in essence creating a secondary usage for many popular product categories. A picante sauce and salsa pioneer, Pace is celebrating...

FreshDirect makes convenient impact on food retailing.(GROCERY UPDATE)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... In the latter half of this year, FreshDirect celebrated its fifth anniversary in business. While that's not a long time in comparison with the likes of A&P and King Kullen, FreshDirect's history does say something about the state of food...

Best Buy.(RETAILER NEWS)(Best Buy Company Inc.)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Best Buy has landed the exclusive rights to sell Mariah Carey's concert DVD release. "The Adventures of Mimi," which debuted on Dec. 4, will be sold exclusively at Best Buy stores through a deal with supplier LiveNation. The two-disc set...

Consumer Electronics Association.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... The Consumer Electronics Show is still a month away, but the Consumer Electronics Association has already announced its 2008 Innovation Awards. The annual awards recognize achievement in 32 categories, including new entries such as...

High-def, lower prices.(WHAT'S HOT)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... It's been nearly two years since high-definition DVD debuted, and consumer interest in the dueling Blu-ray and HD-DVD formats has been lukewarm, at best. But now that both sides have cut prices and moved toward a showdown, high-definition...

Video is the new audio for portable players.(PORTABLE AUDIO UPDATE)
December 10, 2007... Portable media players have come a long way since the iPod debuted in October 2001. And the new wave of players arriving in stores this fall have more storage space and larger screens as more video content makes its way into the portable...

Memory's in the cards.(ACCESSORIES)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... One of the hottest accessories for holiday shoppers this year is also the smallest: memory cards. As digital cameras have evolved to higher resolutions, they need memory cards with more storage space to accommodate larger photo and video...

Marvel heroes serve as springboard for CE partnerships.(PORTABLE AUDIO UPDATE)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Marvel Entertainment will team up with several new partners to expand its consumer electronics presence at retail next spring. The company is making the push in advance of two major feature films due in 2008, based on Marvel characters Iron...

Fujitsu Computers.(RETAILER NEWS)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Fujitsu Computers is offering a four-month subscription to Blockbuster's Total Access rental plan with the purchase of any new Fujitsu laptop computer through Jan. 31. The laptop line is priced from $799 to $1,999, and the Blockbuster offer...

Trans World Entertainment.(RETAILER NEWS)(Financial report)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Trans World Entertainment reported a larger than expected loss of $14.3 million for its third quarter, with declining music sales accounting for most of the loss. Same-store sales for the 950-store chain, which operates most stores under the...

Total sales of HD-DVD players have passed the 750,000 mark following heavy promotion on Black Friday.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Financial report)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Total sales of HD-DVD players have passed the 750,000 mark following heavy promotion on Black Friday. The HDDVD Promotional Group said the total includes sales of stand-alone players and HD-DVD drives that go with the Xbox 360. The group...

With price margins steady, CE helps bolster Black Friday.(ce & entertainment)
December 10, 2007... After last year's brutal holiday price war on flat-panel TVs, retailers this year avoided drastic price cuts on Black Friday. And though some door-buster prices on TVs were impressive, they didn't come close to the dramatic drops that were so...

Extending the link between PC and TV.(ce & entertainment)(personal computers)(television)
December 10, 2007... It's never easy to have to think ahead to the post-holiday season, especially when the bulk of holiday shopping has yet to take place. But as consumers flock to stores over the next two weeks, loading up on new tech gadgets (particularly...

Expanding tastes feed: expanding food business.(FOOD RETAILER OF THE YEAR: TARGET[R])(Target Corp.)
December 10, 2007... Target was at a crossroads in 2006 as regards its food business, and didn't hesitate to stride right through. Now, it is the second largest supercenter operator in the United States in terms of units, a major national food retail presence and...

Making a run at all supercenter challengers.(FOOD RETAILER OF THE YEAR: TARGET[R])(Company rankings)
December 10, 2007... For years, observers wondered how serious Target really was about supercenters, but as 2006 rolled into 2007, the retailer demonstrated that its commitment to the format was second to none. Okay, second to one, Wal-Mart. But still,...

In a tough retail environment: Staples is holding strong.(SPECIALTY RETAILER OF THE YEAR: STAPLES[R])
December 10, 2007... Staples again showed why it is considered one of the nation's top retailers, and the dear leader among resellers of office products, as it continued to execute a multifaceted growth strategy and gain market share from competitors. The company...

Shopping outlook.(MERCHANT PLANNER: A MONTHLY TREND TRACKER OF WEATHER AND MERCHANDISING FOR THE YEAR'S HIGHEST-VOLUME PROMOTIONAL "HOILDAYS")(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... What a difference a year makes. Last year, the week prior to the Super Bowl was mainly dry and frigid with low temperatures below zero, and daytime high temperatures in the single digits and teens across the Midwest. This was also when one of...

Forecast by retail market.(MERCHANT PLANNER: A MONTHLY TREND TRACKER OF WEATHER AND MERCHANDISING FOR THE YEAR'S HIGHEST-VOLUME PROMOTIONAL "HOILDAYS")(Statistical table)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... FORECAST BY RETAIL MARKET AVERAGE LAST YEAR THIS YEAR City (30 YEARS) (ACTUAL) (FORECAST) Boston TEMP 29 [degrees] 28 [degrees] 28 [degrees] ...

Look of things to come.(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)(Editorial)(Company overview)
December 10, 2007... Take F.M. 2499 due North from the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport for about 20 minutes to the intersection of F.M. 407 and turn right. Go maybe an eighth of a mile, turn left into the parking lot of the large building built of brick and limestone...

Looking for a double at Wal-Mart.(Column)
December 10, 2007... Boston Mountain Money Management Wal-Mart became a successful retailer by providing value to its customers, and these days, it appears the company's shares are providing an exceptional value to long-term investors. At first glance,...

The next big idea: how Wal-Mart is unlocking the creativity of its suppliers as it looks for innovative and sustainable products.
December 10, 2007... Interesting new insights into the resiliency of the American consumer will be revealed during the coming weeks with the bulk of holiday spending set to occur against a backdrop of high energy prices and the lingering effects of a weak housing...

New network helps suppliers go green.(The Suppliers Network)
December 10, 2007... Small and midsize suppliers looking to improve profits while reducing their environmental impact have a new organization to rely on: "The Suppliers Network." The network is a collaborative venture between the Environmental Protection...

Wal-Mart, Sam's make VPI sustainable.(Volume Producing Item and Value Producing Item)
December 10, 2007... One of the most effective tools at Wal-Mart's disposal when it comes to affecting behavior change among its suppliers is the company's Iongtime merchandising contest that goes by the acronym VPI. When the program was created in 1976, VPI...

P.R.I.S.M.: shedding light on data mining.(Service Provider Focus)(Pioneering Research for an In-Store Metric)
December 10, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The ability of marketers to understand the effectiveness of in-store expenditures is set for a major advancement next year as a new stream of syndicated data becomes available to measure the in-store audience. ...

Juiced creative gets growing.(MERCHANDISING DISPLAYS)
December 10, 2007... Less than six months after its formation, the Juiced Creative division of the Stribling Group is expanding its staff and adding new technology to enhance a service offering that has gained quick acceptance in the supplier community. The...

Highland Village: a supercenter with a view.(Beyond Bentonville)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)
December 10, 2007... The prototype supercenter Wal-Mart opened last month in Highland Village, Texas, is a sight to behold. Inside the 203,000-square-foot box is a shopping experience unlike that found anywhere in the company's network of U.S. stores thanks to...

Kraft-ing operations to impact bottom line.(Supply Side)(Interview)
December 10, 2007... TOM CORLEY VP OF WAL-MART SALES, KRAFT [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Kraft is one of the world's leading food companies with annual sales of $34 billion. Its stable of brands are sold in more than 150 countries and include...

Events.(Calendar)
December 10, 2007... JANUARY January 9: BBV Chamber of Commerce Champion members coffee hour, 7 a.m., Embassy Suites. Contact: (479) 273-2841 January 13-16: National Retail Federation annual convention and expo, New York. Visit: www.nrf.com ...

People.
December 10, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Deloitte representatives Alison Kenney Paul, left and Dale Jenkins, second from right, donated $10,000 to the Boys and Girls Club in connection with the opening of Deloitte's new office in Rogers. [ILLUSTRATION...