News

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.  - Ikea announced that it plans to install solar energy panels on two East Coast stores: Paramus, N.J. and Stoughton, Mass. Pending governmental permits, rooftop installation will begin in the new year, with completion expected in spring 2011. The plans bring the number of U.S. Ikea locations that will have a solar energy system to a total of 13. According to the company, these two systems will represent the largest store-top solar installations for Ikea in the United States.

NEW YORK - The Deloitte Spending Index, comprising four components -- tax burden, initial unemployment claims, real wages and real home prices -- fell to 4.29%, from an upwardly revised gain of 4.71% a month ago. According to Deloitte the decline was primarily due to sustained weakness in the housing market despite incremental gains in other areas.  

GLENDALE, Calif., and AMSTERDAM, N.Y. — Beech-Nut and Disney Consumer Products have teamed up to unite nutritious foods with characters that toddlers love.

Beech-Nut's new line of products feature Winnie the Pooh characters, including the namesake bear and his pals Piglet and Tigger.

The Beech-Nut toddler food is fortified with vitamins and minerals and contains valuable nutrients, fiber, whole grains, real fruit, real yogurt, real vegetables and protein. The line features meals, sides, snacks and juices including:

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. - Kohl's and Lagardère Active have announced plans to expand the Elle-branded contemporary lifestyle collection into fashion jewelry and beauty. The Elle Bijoux jewelry collection and Elle-branded line of cosmetics will be available exclusively in Kohl’s stores nationwide and Kohls.com beginning spring 2012.

QUINCY, Mass. - Retailer Work 'N Gear announced that it has teamed up with Sears and Kmart to launch America's first "store-within-a store" concept for healthcare fashions in select locations in six markets.

Called "Scrubology", the retail concept feature approximately 600 to 1,500 sq. ft. of space within Sears and Kmart stores, dedicated to the uniform needs of professionals who work as doctors, nurses, veterinarians, lab technicians and more.

According to a new survey from customer intelligence firm, Market Force Information, The Children's Place is consumers' top pick for young children's (10 and younger) apparel when the votes are indexed for the number of stores. The Children's Place earned 17% of the votes, while Gymboree ranked second (13%), and Kohl's and Carter's tied for third with 12%. For children 11 and older, Aeropostale was ranked favorite retailer with 17% of the votes, followed closely by Kohl's (16%) and then Old Navy (10%).

Chicago -- A better-than-expected retail performance in November should positively impact the holiday shopping season, according to ShopperTrak, prompting the company to revise its holiday season forecast upward.

By Dr Alan Treadgold, [email protected]

There can surely be no question that the two defining themes re-shaping the U.S. retail landscape are the combined impacts of recession and technology. But whereas the impact of recession is, we hope, cyclical; the impact of technology on shoppers’ lives and on retailers’ businesses is profound and structural.

Washington, D.C. -- A survey released Wednesday by the National Retail Federation found that aggressive holiday sales drew shoppers a little earlier this year, but many shoppers still have half their purchasing yet to do.

According to NRF’s 2010 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, the average person had completed 49.5% of their holiday shopping by the second week of December, up from 46.7% at same time last holiday season.

Washington, D.C. -- The Labor Department reported Wednesday that the consumer-price index increased 0.1% in November after a 0.2% rise the prior month. The rise was less than forecast, indicating higher prices for commodities such as fuel aren’t filtering through into other goods and services.

The median estimate of economists in a Bloomberg News survey called for a gain of 0.2%. The so-called core measure, which excludes more volatile food and energy costs, also rose 0.1%, matching the median forecast.