WSJ: Better-Than-Expected Retail Sales In August
August's retail report was better than expected, the Wall Street Journal reports, with all retail categories beating estimates in the back-to-school shopping period.
Pantry Chain Adds 47 Stores
Regional convenience store chain the Pantry is purchasing 47 new stores in Kansas and Missouri, while also making a change of CFO, bringing in Borders CFO Mark Bierley.
Survey: VAT Would Harm Retail Sales
In a survey by the National Retail Federation, nearly two-thirds of respondents say a value-added tax would negatively affect their spending on "almost anything," The Hill reports. A VAT, often mentioned as an approach to government budget deficits, taxes items at each stage of production, and those costs are ordinarily passed on to consumers.
Sears Steps Into Online Shoe Market
Sears is set to launch the "Sears.com Shoe Experience Website" as part of an ongoing plan to improve online offerings, MediaPost reports. The site is set to include blogs, social media, and commentary and offer more than 400 brands of shoes.
OfficeMax, Payless Team For Back-To-School
For the second year, OfficeMax is teaming with Payless for cross-promotion in the back-to-school season. As shoppers buy school supplies and shoes, the retailers will provide discount coupons at checkout for the other chain's stores.
New GM CEO Not Likely To Affect Marketing Plans
The arrival of new CEO Daniel Akerson at General Motors "should have no effect on the automaker's advertising," says Ad Age, which says VP/Marketing Joel Ewanick will keep his autonomy under the new top exec.
ESPN Adds Hours More SportsCenter, Cuts Back Spots
ESPN is adding seven more live hours to its long-running and popular SportsCenter franchise on the ESPNews spinoff channel, and cutting back the spotload to bring advertisers a less cluttered environment.
Indie Retailers Face Special Challenges
Independent retailers face a number of particular challenges during a recession, says USA Today, including the perception of high prices at a time when consumers are looking for deals.
JC Penney Eyes Mango-Loving Youth
In an effort to gain youth appeal, JC Penney has put together an "unconventional collaboration" wth Mango MNG Holding, a Spanish "fast fashion" chain that creates trendy looks that move quickly from design to store shelves, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Top 10 Back-To-School Trends
Clothes for college kids, shopping early, and online spending are among the top trends for back-to-school shopping, says the National Retail Federation on NRF's Big Blog.
Grocers Moving Onto Restaurants' Turf
A report from NPD Group found that newly two-thirds of prepared foods sold at retail come from supermarkets, as grocers gain ground on restaurants. But the report also suggested a number of areas where restaurants can fight back.
Walmart Looks To Keep Recession Shoppers
Walmart is remodeling stores and improving signs and lighting in an effort to make shopping more convenient as it moves to keep the shoppers it's gained during the economic downturn. The company will also be doing away with the hyphenated "Wal-Mart" on its signs and changing the shade of blue.
Bedbugs Stalk The Malls
Stores including Abercrombie & Fitch have had to close outlets and bring in exterminators, discard stock, and change return policies during the bedbug invasion that has plagued New York this summer. The infestation is affecting stores during the prime back-to-school shopping season.
Billboards That Look Back
Technology is being tested in Japanese outdoor displays that can identify the gender, age, and body type of people who stand in front of the sign. Additionally, Intel and Microsoft are reportedly working on tech to recognize the age, gender, and height of people who view digital signs.
