Retail Worker News

Apple tops Fortune’s list of America’s Most Admired Companies

retailworkernews — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:03:32 +0000

Fortune announced this week that Apple tops their 26th annual list of America’s Most Admired Companies. The popularity of the iphone and the new innovations to the ipod are what helped the company make it to the top this year. At number 2 is Berkshire Hathaway, followed by General Electric, dropping down two spots from the number 1 spot on last year’s list. Click here to see the full list at Fortune Magazine online.

Best Buy opens eight new stores

retailworkernews — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:47:10 +0000

This morning at 10am, across six different states, Best Buy held ribbon cutting ceremonies for eight new stores. The stores opened in Florida, Alabama, Massachusetts, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Virginia. All of the new stores will have the latest layouts, including home theater and computer sections as well as interactive displays. The store openings bring the retailer’s total number of stores in the US to 931.

Wal-Mart increases dividend to shareholders

retailworkernews — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:01:36 +0000

This week, the Board of Directors of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. approved an 8% increase in the annual dividend paid to shareholders, increasing it from $0.88 per share to $0.95 per share. Based on this approved increase, in fiscal year 2009, the company plans to return $3.6 billion dollars to it’s shareholders. Wal-Mart has increased it’s dividend payout every year since its first dividend in 1974 of $0.05 per share.

Circuit City exchanges your HD DVD player for Blu-ray

retailworkernews — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:06:25 +0000

They aren’t exactly announcing it, and you have to ask for it if you want it, but if you bought an HD DVD player in the last three months, Circuit City is offering to exchange the Hi-def player for Blu-ray. Although they are keeping it on the DL, Circuit City will take the old HD player off your hands and put the value towards the new Blu-ray player. They won’t, however, take your HD DVD’s. The City is the first and only U.S. retailer to offer the exchange, although a similar retail chain in Japan recently offered the deal. Please comment and let me know what you think!

Custom water bottle labels for retail stores

retailworkernews — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:23:48 +0000

A company called Bottle Your Brand is giving retailers like Nordstrom a new way to market their brand: bottled water with customized labels. Test drive a car at the Lexus dealership, and they might hand you a free bottle of water with the Lexus logo on it. Cousins Scott and Adam Springer started Bottle Your Brand after Scott Springer noticed the bottled water section at the grocery store was as big as the beer section. Scott Springer believes that marketing using bottled water is better than other traditional forms of marketing because the product is a necessity and a luxury at the same time. Plus it adds a couple points to the customer service surveys for handing out free water.

Victoria’s Secret goes from sexy to sophisticated

retailworkernews — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 02:49:18 +0000

Victoria’s Secret CEO Sharen J. Turney, in an industry conference call last Thursday, said that VS has gotten “too sexy.” With the lingerie retailer’s profits down, Turney is searching for a reason. She told analysts that she wants her company to increase the level of sophistication and focus on product quality. In decreasing the sex appeal, the company plans to take the brand back to its “ultra feminine” roots and become more relevant to the customer.

I have to give it to Turney for thinking about relevance. Women in the real world (and by that I mean women who aren’t stick-thin models) don’t necessarily feel sexy in the Very Sexy lingerie. Maybe it’s too skimpy or some might say “raunchy.” I saw some crotchless panties on their online catalog. I wonder if they will make a sophisticated crotchless panty? Maybe it will come with a suit jacket and brief case.

I do hope this doesn’t mean we’re going to have to watch a Victoria’s Secret fashion show with Moomoos and flannel pajamas. My boyfriend likes to drool over the scantily clad supermodels, and I like to ponder how they don’t have one little tiny pucker or pinch of cellulite?

Fake Handbags

retailworkernews — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:52:08 +0000

This week, New York City police closed down 32 shops carrying fake goods and confiscated more than $1 million in counterfeit goods including fake Rolex watches and faux designer handbags. With this news, I feel the need to tell the story of my fake Prada bag.

I’ve seen the ads in fashion mags claiming that buying counterfeit goods funds terrorism. I’m thinking and hoping that because the ad is paid by the designer, this is a lie. But despite that I knew it was wrong, when I visited NYC, an overwhelming feeling came over me. I had to have one of these bags. It wasn’t because I wanted to impress everyone with a designer bag. My boyfriend even pointed out that if anyone complimented me on it, I would have to tell them it was fake just so I could tell them the story of how I got it.

So, we walked up the steps from the subway and there were men whispering “Handbag? Rolex?” as we walked down the streets near China Town. Finally we asked a store owner if they carried Prada bags. He told us to go to the back of the store and wait. At this point I’m overjoyed, because I’m about to witness organized crime at its best.

A woman met us at the back of the store, pushed a table aside (it had wheels) and opened a secret hatch door. We then found ourselves in a secret room surrounded by designer handbags: Coach, Gucci, Dior, you name it. The door was shut behind us. Above the door was a small flat screen TV that showed live video of the store front. After we made our purchase, the Asian woman got on a walkie talkie and said “Ee-I, Ee-I!” which prompted the Lookout to make sure the store was empty before letting us out of the secret room. I left there, black trash bag in hand, feeling excited and nervous, as if someone might confiscate my newly acquired Prada bags. Now I have two bags that I don’t use, but they sit in my closet with a memory attached to them.

Is visiting Canal Street and buying fake goods part of the tourist attractions in NYC? I think so. But I also think it sort of dilutes the designer brand. The whole purpose of having expensive designer brands is so that only people with money can purchase them. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be called “status symbols.” I drive a Corolla…doesn’t make much sense for me to be carrying a handbag that is worth more than my car.

First Post

retailworkernews — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 04:55:55 +0000

I originally started this blog about a year ago in hopes that I would have time to flesh it out. This is sort of my re-launch, seeing as how I’ve neglected this site for so long. I’m starting this blog because the retail world, as I’m sure most retail workers would agree, is diverse and unique. And with such a huge community of people who work in the industry, I think it deserves a little attention.

A little background for how I got here…

I worked in retail throughout high school and college, and a little bit after college. The experiences I had working in retail (which I will most likely share in later posts) have sort of prompted me to start writing about it. I got my degree in General Business, which got me generally nowhere at first. But a degree is really only what you make of it. I wouldn’t say my passion lies in ‘general business studies.’ I’m one of those people that changed my major every semester until I had to pick something and stick with it just so I could graduate on time. With that said, I’ve decided to make my passion (writing) a priority in my life, and so that is another reason this blog exists. I’m looking forward to reading all of your comments and having open discussions!