Attitudes: Retailers

EDLP (every day low price) and EDLC (every day low cost) are the most familiar acronyms at Walmart, but FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) is giving them a run for their money these days.

Chelmsford, Mass. -- Kronos Inc. said Thursday that its Retail Labor Index for May, which characterizes the current state of the demand and supply sides of the labor market within the U.S. retail sector, rose to 4.1%. (This index is defined as the ratio of hires to applications within a given month, expressed as a percentage. A level of 3.0% means that for every 100 applications received, three hires occurred).

The May reading of the Retail Labor Index reflected a moderate decline in hiring outpaced by a sharp drop in applications.


New York -- J.C. Penney appears to be relenting a bit on the strict non-promotional strategy launched by CEO Ron Johnson.

In a report on CNBC.com, Deutsche Bank analyst Charles Grom said the chain has added five "Best Price Friday" events to its calendar. The first took place the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, and another is scheduled for Black Friday in November. Others may occur at peak sales times, according to Grom.

By Rick Parker, [email protected]

“Is there a better job out there?”

This is a question that hourly employees within retail industry are asking themselves more frequently, often leading them to say “I quit,” to their current employer.

Consider trends from the government’s latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey (JOLTs):

Bentonville, Ark. — Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon will provide an update on the company's U.S. business at the Morgan Stanley Retail and Restaurants Conference in Boston on Wednesday, May 23.

The presentation will be webcast live through links at Walmartstores.com/investors and a transcript will be available later in the week. The materials will be archived for one year on the company’s website.

Charleston, S.C. -- The number of Americans delaying their shopping to Memorial Day Weekend is at an all-time high, according to findings in two reports by America's Research Group Surveys. The reports find that shoppers will approach Memorial Day in keeping with a growing trend: holding off on shopping until "big" holiday weekends.

NEW YORK — Kohl’s, Nordstrom and Target  ranked first in their categories in a new survey by Harris Interactive. The 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend (EQ) study surveyed Americans about brands across several retail segments, revealing which brands prompted them to open their hearts—and consequently—their pocketbooks.

Chicago -- A recent report from Jones Lang LaSalle showed that the current state of real estate markets suggests a temporary deceleration in the on-going global real estate market recovery.

According to JLL’s latest Global Market Perspective report, sentiment is, however, recovering and full-year 2012 commercial real estate volumes are expected to match the robust levels seen in 2011.