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‘The Daily Wrap:’ U.S./Canada Trade; Macy’s; Boot Town
U.S., Canada Settle ‘Buy American’ Dispute
The U.S. and Canada have reached a preliminary deal to settle disagreements regarding “Buy American” provisions in the U.S. economic stimulus package. Both U.S. and Canadian manufacturers and exporters would have broader access to cross-border... Continue Reading »
P&G Launches eStore, Tests Marketing Concepts
Procter & Gamble, maker of Head & Shoulders and Pampers, is launching a new ecommerce “learning lab” that the packaged goods giant says will test concepts and programs that, when successful, can be reapplied across P&G’s retail partners in the hopes of growing consumer affinity for P&G... Continue Reading »
Lowe’s Opens Mexican Stores
Home improvement retailer Lowe’s Companies, Inc. is scheduled to open its first two Mexican stores in Monterrey, Mexico today. Lowe’s initially planned to expand store operations into Mexico during 2009.
Lowe´s Mexico has invested approximately $18 million to $20 million USD in each store. Approximately 430 employees have been hired to operate the two stores and the company’s offices in...
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Unemployment Falls to Single Digits - Update
After three straight months of double-digit ratings, the official U.S. unemployment rate fell from 10% to 9.7% in January 2010. The economy shed 20,000 non-farm payroll jobs, a significant decrease from the 85,000 lost in December 2009.
Retail trade employment rose by 42,000 in January 2010, after showing little change in the prior two months. Job gains occurred in retail verticals including...
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North American Email Has High Failure Rate
Twenty percent of email in the U.S. and Canada is not making it to the inbox, with 3% of email going to the “junk” or “bulk” folder and another 16% going missing, according to the Return Path Global Deliverability Benchmark study for the second half of 2009.
Reasons behind Low Email Deliverability
There are several reasons why these numbers are low, according to study results:
1. Many...
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‘The Daily Wrap’: Apple, Best Buy, Dollar Tree
Apple Revamps Store Operations
Apple is changing the hierarchy of its store employee structure to provide more experience at the bottom level and more strategic insight at the higher level. Apple stores will now have an entry-level associate position with a 24-month training period, as well as a market leader who provides vision and inspiration and a store leader who serves as a coach and...
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Dollar General Plans 600 New Stores
Dollar store retailer Dollar General intends to open 600 new stores in the next 12 months, creating as many as 5,000 jobs. During 2009, Dollar General opened 450 new stores and hired 4,000 new employees.
Dollar General has not specified where it will open new stores, but says it will expand in suburban, rural and urban communities. The retailer, which currently operates more than 8,800 stores...
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Consumers Tone Down Valentine’s Day Plans
U.S. consumers plan to observe Valentine’s Day this February 14, but will spend less and stay home while doing so, according to the Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index.
Ninety-three percent of respondents indicate they plan to observe the Valentine’s Day holiday this year. However, spending levels will drop about 5% for both men and women. Men plan to spend an average of $133 this...
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‘The Daily Wrap’: CVS, Toys R Us, Yum Brands
“The Daily Wrap” offers a roundup of the day’s biggest retail industry headlines. Following are some news items you may be interested in checking out.
CVS/pharmacy Enters Memphis
Drugstore retailer CVS/pharmacy has opened its first store in Memphis, TN. CVS will open two more Memphis stores later this year and plans additional stores in the market during the next several years. Source:...
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Online Product Recommendations Miss Mark
The quality of product recommendations on retailer websites significantly declined in 2009, according to a new study from ChoiceStream.
Six in 10 Shoppers Get Poor RecommendationsStudy results reveal that 59% of shoppers said they received poor quality product recommendations from retailer websites in 2009. This is a substantial 31% increase from the 45% of shoppers who reported poor quality...
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Q2 Looks Up for BK
Fast food retailer Burger King Holdings Inc. rebounded from a disappointing Q1 fiscal 2010 by improving worldwide revenue, net income and margin during Q2 2010 (ended December 31, 2009). Selected highlights and analysis follow.
Restaurant Growth Aids Q2 ResultsBurger King credited the net addition of 95 global restaurants during the quarter as providing a boost to worldwide revenue, net...
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Movie Gallery Files Chapter 11
Movie Gallery, Inc., parent company of the Movie Gallery, Hollywood Video and Game Crazy media entertainment chains, has voluntarily filed [pdf] for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division. The restructuring will include the immediate liquidation and closure of approximately 760 stores in the U.S.
After these...
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