Consumer Affairs & Relations

 

Retailers can keep customer data safe and also protect themselves against fraud-related losses by complying with PCI Data Security Standards, including the October 2015 deadline for U.S. retailers to accept cards with Europay, MasterCard and Visa (EMV)-compliant chips, advised Bob Russo, general manager, PCI Security Standards Council.

By Lindsay Carlson, Adam Biegel and Kimyatta McClary, Alston & Bird LLP Over the past 18 months, there has been a significant increase in litigation and enforcement activity concerning comparative price advertising in the retail industry. Companies can face substantial reputational and cost consequences if targeted, and should consider examining their price advertising models and prepare to defend these models.

By Lindsay Carlson,  Adam Biegel and Kimyatta McClary, Alston & Bird LLP   Over the past 18 months, there has been a significant increase in litigation and enforcement activity concerning comparative price advertising in the retail industry. Companies can face substantial reputational and cost consequences if targeted, and should consider examining their price advertising models and prepare to defend these models.  

Patrick Spear has joined GMDC as president to fill a role previously held by the organization’s long-time CEO Dave McConnell.  Spear brings 25-plus years of experience in the consumer and office products industry to GMDC’s senior management team.  

Like an inconsiderate party guest, Old Man Winter arrived early this year, bringing his trusty cohorts snow, ice, wind and rain. The first official day of winter is still a month away, but many parts of the United States are feeling the freeze, especially in the Northern Plains, where snow fell 11 days before summer officially ended. If that is any indication of the upcoming season, retailers could be in for a long and brutal winter.

Winter Forecast

For many, winter is a magical time of the year.

The spread of the deadly Ebola virus has been all over the news lately. Protecting underprivileged children in West Africa from Ebola is one more important effort supported by RetailROI. Katie Meyler, founder of More Than Me, a non-profit dedicated to assisting at-risk youth in Liberia, recently discussed how More Than Me and RetailROI are helping to combat Ebola there.

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New York -- U.S. households plan to spend an average of $538 on gifts this holiday season, up slightly from $528 last year, The Conference Board reports today. About 8% of consumers say they plan to spend more this year on holiday gifts, while approximately 32% plan to spend less. The remaining 60% plan to spend about the same as last year.  

New York -- Retail and consumer merger and acquisition activity in the United States during the third quarter of 2014 was driven by the highest volume of mega deals (deals with a value of over $1 billion) in at least seven years, leading to overall transaction value jumping significantly during the quarter when compared to the year ago period, according to PwC’s U.S. retail and consumer deals insights Q3 2014 report.   

New York --  Foot Locker Inc. announced that, as part of a planned succession process, Ken Hicks, 61, intends to retire as president and CEO of the company on Dec. 1, 2014. Hicks, a highly-regarded retail veteran who has been wooed by other retailers for the top spot, will be succeeded as president and CEO by COO Richard (Dick) A. Johnson, 56, who has been with Foot Locker for almost two decades.  

New York -- Consumer confidence in the North America region improved four points to 107 on the Nielsen Consumer Confidence Index for the third quarter of 2014. Consumer confidence levels above and below a baseline of 100 indicate degrees of optimism and pessimism, respectively, with the latest results reflecting an outlook of cautious optimism.