Events

New York - President Obama met with Wal-Mart Stores CEO Mike Duke in the Oval Office Monday afternoon. Sources said Obama and Duke were to discuss ways to spur job growth and encourage companies to invest in the United States.

Arriving at the White House, Duke declined to answer questions about the substance of the meeting.

“We’re just going to have a nice visit,” he said, according to Bloomberg.

Washington - Amazon.com, Nordstrom and J.C. Penney are just a few of the retailers that made the grade on the list of the top 10 retailers for customer service as selected by shoppers in the sixth annual NRF Foundation/American Express Customers’ Choice survey.

The survey, which asked 9,291 shoppers which retailer provides the best customer service, was conducted by BIGresearch. In alphabetical order, the top 10 retailers for customer service are:

• Amazon.com

• J.C. Penney

New York - The holiday shopping season got off to a positive if unspectacular start, according to preliminary results from the Black Friday weekend.  The number of people who shopped at stores and online between Thursday and Sunday was up 8.7% to 212 million shoppers, according to a National Retail Federation survey of 4,306 shoppers conducted by BIGresearch. The total amount spent during the four-day weekend reached an estimated $45 billion, with the average spending rising 6.4% to $365.34, the survey showed.

Los Angeles -- Guess said its fiscal third-quarter net income rose 7.8% to $69.1 million from $64.1 million a year ago, surpassing analysts forecasts. The company lifted its full-year earnings forecast.

Revenue for the quarter ended Oct. 30 rose 17% to a record $613.9 million, also topping predictions, with a strong boost from international sales.

The company's retail stores in North America generated revenue of $253.7 million in the third quarter, up 5.9% from the same period a year ago. Same-store sales increased 1.5%.

Las Vegas -- New York City-based Robert K. Futterman & Associates announced that Skechers has opened inside Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, in Las Vegas.

Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino is a 1.2-mile retail/entertainment complex on the Las Vegas Strip featuring 170 specialty stores, 15 restaurants and three live entertainment venues.

It is owned by David Edelstein and Aby Rosen, in conjunction with leasing and marketing consultant Robert K. Futterman & Associates LLC. 

Retailers and developers from around the country are preparing to attend the International Council of Shopping Centers’ New York deal-making convention in New York City on Dec. 6 and Dec. 7. Chain Store Age talked with Ivan L. Friedman, president and CEO of New York City-based retail real estate advisory firm RCS Real Estate Advisors, about what the industry has in store for the New York show and beyond.

As retailers prepare to attend the New York deal-making show in early December, how would you describe the current state of retail?