Retail

WAYNE, N.J. — Get them in early and often seems to be the motto for Toys”R”Us this year, as the toy retailer is hoping new initiatives will encourage customers shop for holiday toys well before December.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation told a congressional panel Wednesday that the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury have used too much informal guidance and not enough formal rulemaking in developing regulations to implement the new healthcare reform law, complicating retailers’ and other employers’ ability to plan for what will be required in 2014. NRF is concerned that the situation is the latest example of regulatory uncertainty that is hampering businesses’ attempts to expand and create jobs.



GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer's "Simply Give Week" garnered more than $145,000 in donations from its customers. The effort, combined with the commitment from Meijer to double all donations made Sept. 2 to 8, brought the week's total donation to $437,400, Meijer co-chairman Hank Meijer said.

Meijer launched Simply Give Week to support Hunger Action Month in September and highlights its continuing commitment to hunger relief.

New York -- Nordstrom will announce on Thursday that it will open its first four stores in Canada by 2015, according to the Globe and Mail. Executives of Nordstrom and Cadillac Fairview, the landlord of the four malls where the stores will be located, set to unveil the sites at a news conference in Toronto, the report said.

The stores will be located in Pacific Centre in Vancouver, Chinook Centre in Calgary, Ottawa’s Rideau Centre and Sherway Gardens in Toronto, according to previous reports.

The overall drop in number of circulars continued this month, with a six percent decrease in the number of inserts being released to the market among selected retailers.  

The overall number of pages per market remained the same with a marginal increase compared to previous year. Walmart had the largest increase in pages per market with a larger focus on “Back to School” with 5 circulars with a prominent “Back to School” theme.  

New York -- Microsoft Corp. will open 32 pop-up stores in the United States and Canada in time for the holiday shopping season.

Although the company did not say when the stores would open, it did provide a list of the locations, which include Roosevelt Field Mall, Garden, City, N,Y.; Time Warner Center: The Shops at Columbus Circle, New York City; Perimeter Mall, Atlanta; Oakridge Centre, Vancouver, B.C.; Dadeland Mall, Miami; and San Francisco Centre, San Francisco, to name a few.

Bethesday, Md. -- ATM provider Allpoint Network, a Cardtronics affiliate, said Wednesday that it has entered Canada with its agreement with 7-Eleven Canada to host surcharge-free Allpoint Network ATMs in its more than 470 stores in the country.

Earlier this year, 7-Eleven named Cardtronics its exclusive ATM service provider in Canada.

Retailers plan to hire an increased number of temporary workers this holiday season, according to a survey by the global consulting firm Hay Group.

"Retailers are betting that 2012 is going to be a great holiday season," said Craig Rowley, vp and global practice leader for Hay Group’s retail practice. "After four years of economic turbulence, they have figured out how to operate in an uncertain business environment and are calm and cool, knowing that they are ready, as they head into the holidays."