Sales & Marketing

NEW YORK — The Motley Fool on Tuesday suggested all three national pureplay drug chains were in a better position today than five years and three years ago based on a metric called the “cash king margin.”

The metric teases out the amount of free cash flow a company actually can use to monetize shareholder value by paying dividends or buying back stocks. Companies that can create cash king margins (calculated by dividing free cash flow by sales) of more than 10% are the most attractive to investors, the Fool surmised.

New York City -- Mobile technology ranked as the most important priority for retail in 2011, according to a recent online poll by Retail U. The respondents were asked to base their results on their key takeaways from the National Retail Federation’s 100th Annual Convention & Expo, in New York City.

With the large amount of excess store space available for lease in 2010, more retailers used pop-up stores this past holiday season than ever before.  This concept is now transforming into a viable strategy that has a life beyond the holiday season rush. In 2011 innovative retailers will employ it as a year-round approach that complements their core business strategy.

Dallas -- Davaco said Tuesday it is preparing to roll out high-volume retrofits of interior and exterior restaurant menu boards in response to the FDA’s new nutrition/menu labeling program.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 requires restaurants and similar retail food establishments with 20 or more locations to list calorie content information for standard menu items on restaurant menus and menu boards.

The retail industry will grow by 5.1% in 2011, the strongest growth in four years, according to Customer Growth Partners 2011 Forecast and Outlook. The New Canaan, Conn.-based consulting and research firm projects that the industry will create over half a million new jobs in 2011, the most of any employment sector, and that retail sales will reach a record level of almost $2.9 trillion.

Irving, Texas -- NEC Corp. of American announced that OXXO, the largest convenience store chain in Latin America, has selected NEC’s new point of sale hardware platform, TWINPOS 4500 as its standard.

With more than 8,000 stores strategically located throughout Mexico and Colombia, OXXO offers convenient services and products, 24-hour service in most areas and a fast and comfortable shopping experience.

WASHINGTON — The largest retail trade association on Wednesday said that President Obama's State of the Union address recognized the industry's role in job creation.

The National Retail Federation said that the president's "continued support of 'commonsense safeguards,'" which included support of such proposals as swipe fee limits, "will help retailers innovate and support the consumer spending that is crucial to job creation."

New York City -- Ikea plans to use solar energy in its store under construction in the Denver suburb of Centennial. Pending governmental permits, installation of solar panels on the store’s roof will begin in February, with completion by grand opening this fall.