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Holiday Blues?
With all of the pre-holiday buzz and widely optimistic sales projections, anything other than a blockbuster 2012 holiday shopping season was bound to be a letdown. Few expected the numbers that came out just before Christmas: Both MasterCard and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) reported that sales for the holiday season at that point were up just 0.7%. This was far below the robust predictions that many analysts and observers made before the shopping season was underway (most often between 3%-6%).
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LAST CALL: Retail Store of the Year Design Competition
New York -- Due to the holiday rush and related closings, Chain Store Age extended the deadline for its 31st annual Retail Store of the Year Design Competition until Tuesday, January 8, 2013. Eligible projects are those completed between November 2011 and December 2012.
More than 20 categories are featured, ranging from supermarkets and discount/mass merchants to specialty stores and pop-up stores. Entries may be submitted by retailers, designers, architects or suppliers.