Two Lucky Survey Participants Won GPS Units
from MSA
Congratulations to Bill Lewis of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens and Kathy Posey of Biedenharn Museum & Gardens. They each won a Garmin Nuvi 205 GPS unit – just for participating in the 2009 MSA Retail Industry Survey. Based on these survey results, the 2009 MSA Retail Industry Report will be available this fall. Don't forget to reserve your copy of this unparalleled study. More

Heard on MSA's ShopTalk
from MSA
Recently on ShopTalk, your colleagues discussed using store gift certificates as membership incentives; integrating POS systems with other programs; and best-selling retail items under $20. Log in to the MSA Web site and go to For Members and ShopTalk to check out the archives or sign up for this lively members-only, e-mail discussion forum. More

Fall MSA Chapter Meetings in the Works
from MSA
Plans are underway for fall chapter meetings. Look for your chapter in the drop down menu to see if information about your next meeting is available, and then save the date. More

Two New Positions Posted to MSA's Job Source
from MSA
Two new positions have been posted to Job Source, MSA's online resource for the most up-to-date job listings in the cultural commerce industry. More

For Retailer Buyers, a Tall Order for the Holidays
from Dallas Morning News
Bradley Hilton is looking for bargains. As a buyer for San Francisco-based Gump's, Hilton is in Dallas looking for lower-priced versions of pillows and throws than ones traditionally featured in the Christmas catalog. He is among the thousands of retailer buyers putting the final wrap on holiday 2009 at Dallas Market Center's home and gift market. More

It's 100 degrees. Are You Ready for Christmas?
from Bazaarblog
Last year, 80 percent of holiday shoppers read reviews while deciding what to buy. It's important to build review volume now, so shoppers find all the information they need on your site come shopping season. More

Luxury Goods Makers Brandish Green Credentials
from Wall Street Journal
The bad economy and a fundamental shift in the market for luxury goods are forcing an industry that reveres names like Chanel and Versace to embrace a different icon: Mother Nature. More

In a Downturn, Jewelers Aren't So Precious
from The New York Times
In this economy, many consumers would rather keep their money in their wallets than on their fingers, necks or ears. As people re-examine their budgets, jewelry is turning out to be one of the easiest places to cut back — or trade down. More

Five Underutilized Features of the Modern POS
from Retail Customer Experience
The retail point-of-sale system has come a long way from its mechanical roots. The first cash register, patented in the late 19th century, did little more than ring up purchases and store cash. Today's POS does those things, of course, but it is also a sophisticated tool capable of amassing enormous pools of business intelligence. More

The "E" in E-Commerce Should Stand for Easy
from Picture Business
The greatest thing about e-commerce can also be the worst thing about it, that is to say, it's as easy to leave a site as it as it is to enter one. With brick-and-mortar shopping, once a customer walks in your store you've got some level of control with regard to how long they stay and whether or not they buy something. When they visit your Web site the slightest trip up and they're gone. More

When it Comes to Designing an E-Commerce Site, It's All About the Content
from Internet Retailer
When designing a retailing Web site, the rules of brainstorming do not apply. Quality is more important than quantity. To create a compelling site that draws shoppers in and lures them to buy, e-retailers should choose their content carefully, Lauren Freedman, president of research and consulting firm the E-tailing Group Inc., said at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition in Boston last month. More

Social Scorecard: Retailers Stepping Up Networking Efforts
from Retail Touch Points
Considering the explosive growth of social media, retailers are quickly expanding their social strategies. According to Compete.com, a leading Web analytics firm, Facebook had over one million unique visitors in April, and the Twitter craze is driving huge growth for tracking sites. More

Top 10 Tips to Make This Your Best Trade Show Ever
from One Coast
Trade shows...Love 'em or hate 'em, they should be an important event in your life as a businessperson. You get to see new products, renew old friendships, learn about industry trends, and develop a network of professional colleagues. However, trade shows are a lot like love, life and the stock market: how much you get out of it depends on how much you put into it. Here are a few lessons about how to get the absolute most from your trade show. More

Books Every Small Business Owner Should Read
from One Coast
Marianna Hayes keeps a reading list on her Web site and an Amazon wish list - and she passes out an updated book and blog reading list at all of her speaking engagements. So, she thought she would encourage small business owners to pick up a good business book to pass the summer evenings by sharing the list shared with her as an addendum to her web site book list. More

High Levels of Optimism Yield Better Sales People and Better Sales Results
from Bizjournals
Everyone is looking for a competitive edge during the recession. Should we engage in social media tools? Or hold a strategic planning session to determine course or change course? Maybe we should roll out a new marketing plan? Here's a thought: Take a look at a soft emotional intelligence skill that yields hard sales results: optimism. There is evidence that supports the theory that sales teams possessing high levels of optimism make companies more money. More

Save Business Data Before Disaster Happens
from Jacksonville Business Journal
Not storing your small business's data can be like not saving that Microsoft Word or Excel file you're working on. You're too busy to be bothered saving until it's too late and your computer's hard drive crashes or the screen freezes. But when it comes to losing your company's data, it's days, not hours, and thousands of dollars that are lost. More

Joblessness Hits 9.5 Percent, Deflating Recovery Hopes
from The New York Times
The American economy lost 467,000 more jobs in June, and the unemployment rate edged up to 9.5 percent in a sobering indication that the longest recession since the 1930s had yet to release its hold. More

Amazon.com Ends Commission Programs in Hawaii, Rhode Island
from Associated Press via Forbes
Amazon.com Inc. has cut ties with Hawaii and Rhode Island Web sites that refer customers to the online retailer in an effort to avoid collecting sales taxes in those states. Amazon notified associates in Rhode Island and Hawaii that the company was no longer working with them as of Monday and Tuesday, respectively, because the states have passed laws to collect sales taxes on these transactions. More

Fear of Debt and Fraud Change the Way Online Shoppers Pay
from Internet Retailer
It's a scary time for online consumers. They're scared of losing their jobs, and many fear their personal information will be stolen from web sites. Both worries are contributing to changes in the way shoppers pay at e-commerce sites. More

Retailers Dish Out Deep Discounts to Salvage Summer Sales
from Dallas Morning News
Macy's flagship store has racks of summer tops, swimwear and dresses marked down as much as 50 percent, while luxury retailer Bergdorf Goodman is slashing prices on designer goods by as much as 70 percent. Meanwhile, piles of clothing as well as barbecue grills, tents and gardening tools are bypassing stores and heading straight to liquidators as merchants try to conserve cash. More

Building Loyalty Schemes with Lasting Power
from Marketing Week
Loyalty should be at the heart of marketing strategy, but research suggests it is in fact a forgotten art. Almost half of the U.K. population take no part in a loyalty scheme, despite registering for them, according to research by loyalty programs specialist The Logic Group and global research. More

As Retailers Cut Back Cities Confront 'Ghostboxes'
from Associated Press Via Forbes
Hundreds of anxious shoppers watched as city officials used power saws to cut two-by-fours during Home Depot Inc.'s ribbon-cutting ceremony for its 102,700-square-foot building center in Bismarck, N.D. Less than three years later, the home improvement retailer shuttered the underperforming store, leaving a big orange empty eyesore on the outskirts of town. More

Despite Economy, Largest Retailers Remain Power Players, According to STORES Report
from National Retail Federation
In spite of economic uncertainties, many of the nation's largest retailers held onto their coveted spots at the top of the retail ladder last year, according to an annual ranking of retailers by sales. The STORES Top 100 Retailers, featured in the July issue of STORES magazine, ranks retailers by annual revenues as reported in SEC filings, public statements by the companies and estimates based on Planet Retail research. More

7-Eleven Leads Fight Against What it Calls Excessive Credit Card Fees
from The Dallas Morning News
7-Eleven Inc. is using its 6,300 U.S. stores to send a message to Washington and the credit card industry. The Dallas-based convenience store operator hopes to solicit 1 million signatures on petitions calling for Congress to change what the chain says are unfair and excessive credit card transaction fees. More

Albright-Knox Embarks on Plan to Sustain Artistic Mission and Address Financial Challenges
from Art Daily
The Albright-Knox Art Gallery today announced it is embarking on an aggressive three-year operating plan designed to actively sustain its artistic mission and current staffing levels while successfully addressing financial challenges resulting from the recent economic recession, which has had an impact on the museum. More

Saving Arts Education from Politics
from Gotham Gazette
Recently the author came out in support of a bill to continue, but amend, mayoral control of the city's public schools. As a fierce advocate for arts in the classroom, he was moved by the bill's establishment of a citywide council to advise, comment and issue reports on arts-related policies in our school system. Unfortunately, with the lack of deliberation and dialogue in the capital right now, we might not have the chance to vote on the best legislative proposals. More