Can Retailers Get Consumers into the Christmas Spirit?
from Time
The jack-o-lanterns are still on the stoop, but already we're seeing prices for holiday ornaments slashed in half at J.C. Penney and pricey toys at Wal-Mart marked down to $10 a pop. Home Depot skipped Halloween altogether, piling up Christmas trees by early October. Retailers always engage in some Christmas calculus to get you to loosen your wallet during the holiday season, but this year it feels a little more desperate. More

Retailers Count on Web Appeal for Holiday Shopping
from USA Today
The Gap company's stores have hardly been the hottest spots at the mall in recent months — or even years. In a market where most retailers are posting single-digit monthly losses, its brands — Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic — had a combined double-digit drop in September, and Old Navy's sales that month were down a startlingly bad 24 percent. More

FAO Schwarz Enlists in Demand Response Program
from Greener Buildings
Toy store icon FAO Schwarz has signed up for Energy Curtailment Specialists Inc.'s PowerPay! New York incentive program by agreeing to ease up on its draw from the grid during times of peak power need. FAO Schwarz's plan includes shutting down lighting and some computers in offices and other areas that do not involve the sales floor, according to the store and ECS. More

Stocks Pounded as Economy Flashes More Warning Signals
from USA Today
A cocktail of bitter economic news from overseas, Silicon Valley, the malls and the labor front soured investors on stocks Thursday and led to the second consecutive day of selling. More

Target Punching Up ‘Pay Less’ Message to Outdo Wal-Mart
from Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal
Expect to see more of less at Target Corp. The Minneapolis-based retail giant has started a marketing campaign that will be dominant for the rest of this year and in 2009. The campaign emphasizes the second half of its well-known tag line, "Expect More. Pay Less." More

How Energy Efficient Can Back Up Power Be?
from Today’s Facility Manager
As part of its work, the California Energy Commission operates a Research Development and Demonstration (RD&D) Division, which oversees the Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program. The PIER program focuses on a number of energy areas, including Building Efficiency. This research aims to decrease building energy use by developing or improving energy-efficient technologies, strategies, tools, and building performance evaluation methods. More

Spartan Stores to Buy 17 Retail Grocery Stores
from Reuters
Grocery chain Spartan Stores Inc. said it agreed to acquire 17 retail grocery stores, including 15 pharmacies, from privately held VG's Food Center Inc and VG's Pharmacy Inc. to expand its retail presence in key Michigan markets. Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Spartan, which owns and operates 84 retail supermarkets including Family Fare Supermarkets, D&W Fresh Markets, and Felpausch Food Centers, did not disclose the terms of the deal. More

Going 'Green' May Mean Fewer Colds This Season
from The Wall Street Journal
One errant cough or unexpected sneeze and the workplace becomes a veritable breeding ground of illness and resulting absenteeism. As the flu season approaches, HR managers prepare to deal with the headache of decreasing productivity. The World Health Organization estimates that the cost of influenza to the U.S. economy in terms of health care costs and lost productivity can range from $71 billion to $167 billion a year. More

Gift Cards Still No. 1 Present for the Holidays
from The Arizona Republic
Gift cards promise to be the most popular holiday gift for the fifth year in a row. But this year, think cards for gas or Goodwill, not for $200 steak and lobster dinners. Last year, half of Americans made gift cards their No. 1 holiday purchase. The total spent on cards was $26.2 billion, with an average of $40 spent per card, according to the National Retail Federation. More

Circuit City to Close 155 Stores, Lay Off Thousands
from Information Week
Struggling electronics retailer Circuit City said this week that it plans to close 155 domestic retail outlets and lay off 17 percent of staff as it seeks to shore up liquidity in the face of a lagging consumer economy. "Due in part to its deteriorating liquidity position and the continued weak macroeconomic environment, the company has decided to take certain restructuring actions immediately," Circuit City said in a statement. More

Costco Adds Custom Media to In-Store TV Mix
from Progressive Grocer
Costco Wholesale Corp. yesterday said it plans to add custom marketing programming to its existing in-store media network solution, which currently consists of an end-to-end retail media solution that includes custom HDTV programming, advertising sales, network operations, media management, and scheduling. The new agreement extends this relationship into 2010. More