Before Jose Gomez, Mango’s senior vice president of business development, takes the stage at Retail’s BIG Show to discuss what it takes to thrive in the global economy, we wanted to introduce him to you. Read on for a sneak peek at what makes Mango’s multinational company so successful.

Jose Gomez, Senior Vice President, Business Development, Mango

Mango has a young and a mostly female employee base. Tell us a little bit about your unique company culture.

Around 70% of the company is female. We dress women, therefore our workforce has a large component of female talent. It’s important to get direct feedback from your customers, and it’s even better if you can let customers’ decisions impact the way we do business. Our female employees do just that. Our work environment is very casual. No suits or ties, but lots of fashion creativity, and expressing yourself through the way you dress. At Mango headquarters, we have 2,000 employees from 37 nationalities. We communicate in several languages, and just on my team, I have people from the UK, Brazil, France, Australia and China.

What’s made you so successful in your expansion so far?

We have a flexible model. We can have a store at San Francisco International Airport the size of 1000 sq. ft. and also a store in Paris, London or Barcelona of 15,000 sq. ft. We also adjust our product to the needs of the markets we sell, but without losing the Mango identity.

In the U.S., you’ve partnered with J.C. Penney to sell the MNG by Mango line, providing a shop-within-a-shop experience. Why that was the right move for the U.S. market?

J.C. Penney provides us with the opportunity to be in cities we would never be in otherwise. They are going through an exciting time of re-merchandising their stores and providing a better and more interesting shopping experience. Our MNG brand fits well with their customers and the Mango line fits best in standalone shops in major cities.

A lot of retailers have their eyes on China. From your experience, what have you learned about how to tailor your business strategy for the Chinese market?

The number one lesson I’ve learned is that you cannot look at China as one country; you have to look at it as if it is many countries. You have to tailor your road map, identify the opportunities and match them with your priorities and resources, then decide the business model that is appropriate for you—franchise, joint venture, corporate, etc. China is a huge market, but it is hard to navigate. From region to region, you’ll find great challenges to overcome from taste in clothing, to income, to logistics and so on.

What’s next for Mango?

We are in 110 countries today, and we’ll continue our expansion in international markets. There won’t be very many new markets, but our focus is on opening more stores to build a denser network in areas we’re already present. We’ll focus on Asia, South America, Russia and, of course Europe. Despite the economic situation, Europe is still our home, and we continue to grow here.

Also, our goal is to make our company more omnichannel. We try to bridge the shopping experience at the store to the one online because our customers shop in both places.

Tell us about your path to your current position.

I have over 20 years of experience in international markets. Before retail, I worked for a variety of textile companies, expanding their businesses to new markets, and my clients were retailers. I moved from New York (although I am originally from Barcelona) to Barcelona to take the position of expanding Mango in North America, after a few months on the job they offered me other parts of the world—the Middle East, Latin America, then Southeast Asia.

In all your travels around the world, what has been the most interesting or rewarding experience for you professionally?

The most rewarding experience is to see your business grow. Every store I have opened is like a son to me! It’s nice to travel around the world and see Mango stores in hundreds of cities in over 110 countries. At Mango we have a dream of having a store in every city in the world, and I am contributing my part to make that happen.

While in town for the BIG Show, what are you most looking forward to doing in New York City?

Since I am an ex-New Yorker (I lived in the city from 2000 to 2004 before I started with Mango), I am looking forward to catching up with friends and going to some of the great restaurants that the city has to offer, possibly catching a show..any suggestions?

Can’t make it to Retail’s BIG Show? Watch Gomez’s keynote live-streamed from the convention, Sunday, January 13 at 3:15 EST.

Part of the BIGness extends to including speakers and attendees from mega-retailers, but the retail industry is not all big names, and neither is Retail’s BIG Show. The top 100 retailers get a lot of attention, but most retailers are small business owners. In fact, more than 95% of retailers in the United States operate just one location.

Independents’ Day, sponsored by Dell and held this year on January 16, provides a full day of programming specifically for these independent retailers. And best of all, retailers can attend for free.

Dave Ratner, owner of Dave’s Soda & Pet City in Agawam, Mass, has been a part of the Independents’ Day program since its inception. He said the BIG Show is a great learning opportunity.

“A mistake many small businesspeople make is that we think the NRF show is just for the big boys, but the NRF does a really good job of having stuff for us,” Ratner said. “Last year, I went to different sessions and learned how to fine tune some ideas, and I got a couple of new ideas for how to market my business. And, not only that, but walking the show floor is great. For a little guy, you would think it would be intimidating because you have all the big vendors, but we found some management tools that work with small businesses as well.”

The EXPO hall gives retailers free access to more than 400+ solution providers, many of which support small- to mid-sized businesses. With technology playing such crucial role in driving the retail industry, even retailers on limited budgets can’t be left behind.

Dell, sponsor of Independents’ Day, thinks that it’s important to bring independent retailers together at Retail’s BIG Show.

“As a company rooted in the spirit of the entrepreneur, at Dell, we understand the power small business retailers hold in fueling the economy and reinvigorating their communities,” said John Yelland, Director, Global SMB Retail Solutions, Dell. “Dell is proud to be the exclusive sponsor of NRF Independents’ Day as technology is a key enabler of helping these incredible businesses grow and thrive.”

Independents’ Day programs include sessions presented by retailers such as Ratner, Linda Hundt of Sweetie-licious Bakery Café, Sarah Endline of Sweetriot, and Allan Reagan of Flix Brewhouse. Other speakers include professionals from KAB Marketing and the Montana, Louisiana and Massachusetts retail associations.

Ratner says he goes to the show each year and never fails to come home with ideas about how to run his business better.

“My advice to the independent businessperson is don’t be intimidated,” Ratner said. “Don’t think the show is just for the Macy’s and the Walmarts of the world because there’s tons of stuff there for us.”

For more information about Retail’s BIG Show and Independents’ Day, visit www.nrf.com/annual12.

Macy’s has engineered a sophisticated approach to building customer loyalty, from their “My Macy’s” model of tailoring merchandise to individual markets to tracking customers’ buying patterns to omnichannel integration.

This January at the NRF 101st Annual Convention & EXPO, Peter Sachse, Macy’s Chief Marketing Officer and Chairman/CEO of Macys.com and RAMA Board member, will lead a session that takes attendees inside the complex program and how it revolutionized the way Macy’s does business.

As part of our retail thought leader series leading up to Retail’s BIG Show, I asked Peter to give us a few insights about what it takes to build customer loyalty.

Your session at Retail’s BIG Show is called, Customer Loyalty Is Not a Tactic But a Way of Doing Business: An Inside Look at Macy’s Holistic Customer Journey. Tell us what that means and how the concept evolved.

Macy's CMO Peter Sachse

What it is really all about is putting the customer at the center of all decisions. And what that means is that over the years, many retailers have made a lot of decisions that were good for the short term profit and loss of the company, but may not be good for the long-term customer relationship.

So now we’re bringing customer data into what historically have been merchandising decisions. Questions such as how is the gross margin, is the turnover adequate, etc. don’t traditionally have any customer metrics to them, but when you bring the customer in and ask, do you really want to eliminate that brand from a certain number of stores, don’t you want to see who’s been buying that brand and what else they’ve been buying? And are they your best customers? Are they your second best customers?

What we’re doing is truly putting the customer at the center of all decisions—having him or her at the table every time we meet.

With increasingly mobile, digital and social shoppers, do you think it’s more challenging for retailers to capture a customer’s loyalty?

No, I think it’s the opposite if you’re able to leverage all those things in order to communicate with a customer in a way that she would welcome. There are a lot more techniques out there than we used to have to engage the customer in the business, and to engage with the customer. It’s a much more immediate basis than direct mail or the ways we had before, so I think it should increase loyalty.

What has made your My Macy’s localization model so successful?

We keep working at it every single day. We’re very happy with the results to date, but we have a very long way to go. But if you think about what My Macy’s is, it’s the epitome of customer centricity. It’s saying I’m going to put in your store, what you need and when, not what I think you need and when. Obviously there’s a degree of fashion in our business, where the customer depends on us to show her new things that are out in the marketplace, but there’s also a fair amount of predictability to our business. And we just need to listen better. I think that’s what we do with My Macy’s. We listen better.

Since you launched the My Macy’s program three years ago, customer behavior has already evolved, with the growing popularity of social media, tablets and smartphones.  How are you taking advantage of these new marketing and sales channels?

We use all of them extensively. We’re steeped in social media. We have all the appropriate apps for Android and iOS and our website works very easily on tablets.

Based on your experiences, what are some of the most common mistakes retailers make when attempting to build customer loyalty?

I would say first that it is not a short-term tactic. And secondly, to really build loyalty, you have to live and walk the talk of putting the customer at the center of every decision. You can’t just say I’d like to do that, or that it sounds good. You have to live it. The customer will eventually sense it, feel it, and reward you for that.

Macy’s opened up the holiday season with very strong numbers over Black Friday weekend. What do you make of the customer mindset this holiday season?

Well, we all see the same unemployment statistics. The consumer is stretched, so what you need to do is execute all the things I mentioned before—My Macy’s, localization strategies, use of social and digital media, and mobile marketing tactics to reach the consumer and convince her to shop with you versus others. She has a lot of choices, but hopefully through customer centricity, customer loyalty she chooses Macy’s.

Macy’s enjoys a strong association with holiday shopping, strengthened by its “magic of Macy’s” and “Believe” campaigns. How do you leverage that throughout the holidays and beyond?

The “magic of Macy’s” is our tag line, and we believe that is what Macy’s can deliver. And that magic is delivered in innumerable ways. From granting wishes through the Make-A-Wish Foundation in association with our Believe campaign, to a parade on Thanksgiving Day, to having a tremendous experience in our stores or online, to walking into one of our stores and saying, “Boy, they get me.” That’s My Macy’s. So we think we can deliver magic. It’s strengthened by our Believe campaign, but it is part of our DNA all year long.

How do you usually do most of your own holiday shopping?

Late and frantically. But, honestly, I don’t have a lot to do, my wife takes care of most of it. I just need to take care of her.

What do the next five years of retail look like?

It will become increasingly more digital, omnichannel and mobile. All centered around the customer.

In addition to your breakout presentation, what are you most looking forward to at Retail’s BIG Show this year?

I go to the NRF Convention each year because we’re big participants in the National Retail Federation, and I want to support the NRF and the BIG Show. This year, I think I’m most interested in walking the EXPO floor and looking at the new technologies that are available.

To learn more about what’s happening at Retail’s BIG Show, visit www.nrf.com/annual.

In fact, so many people came to Retail’s BIG Show in 2011 that we won an award for being one of the fastest-growing trade shows. And the upcoming conference shows no signs of slowing down.

Retail’s BIG Show 2012 features a keynote address from President Bill Clinton, Super Sessions with Whole Foods Market and The Container Store, 100+ educational sessions, 250+ speakers and 400+ solution providers throughout the 150,000 square-foot EXPO hall.

Whether you go to build relationships, size up the competition, shop for business solutions or get some good ideas for how to thrive in this tough economy, you’ll find it at the BIG Show—and you’ll definitely be in good company. If you haven’t registered yet, you can still get a discount if you sign up before Dec. 2.

At our Washington Leadership Conference last spring, we asked a few retail leaders from Saks Inc., Sacino’s, IBM, and SAP Retail why they go to Retail’s BIG Show. Here’s what they had to say…

Brazil is on its way up, and not just to the top of my travel wish list. With its growing middle class, booming economic growth, and, of course, its beautiful landscape, many investors and world retailers have been eyeing Brazil over the past few years. And while reports reveal that growth has slowed recently, the country remains a prime target for retailers.

As part of our retail thought-leader series leading up to the NRF 101st Annual Convention & EXPO in New York City, Jan. 15-18, we asked Alberto Serrentino, senior partner at GS&MD – Gouvêa de Souza in São Paulo to share some insights about the Brazilian retail market, how the global consumer is changing, and why his team has been coming to Retail’s BIG Show for more than 20 years.

At Retail’s BIG Show, you’ll be discussing opportunities within the current Brazilian retail market. What makes Brazil such an important global retail player?

Brazil is a fast growing market that, since 1994, with the stabilization of the economy, has matured a lot. In the last decade, the growth of the country has created a large mass of new consumers, opening many expansion opportunities for Brazilian and foreign chains.

The country has been living a very special moment and will continue to do so in the next years. Brazilian retail is mature and competitive and has been attracting a growing interest from foreign companies.

What are the biggest opportunities for retailers entering the Brazilian market?

Brazilian retail is still too fragmented and regionalized. There are only a few really national chains, basically in apparel and supermarkets. So, there are many opportunities for companies willing to invest in private-owned or franchised stores. There are opportunities for green-field entrance, or by acquisitions.

As the market has several specific characteristics, however, foreign investors and retailers need to rely on local market knowledge, someone who understands the regional flavors, the country’s complex tax system, the competitive environment and the consumer spending behavior.

What do you think other companies around the world can learn from Brazilian retailers?

By nature, Brazilians are flexible and innovative. So, Brazilian retailers share these characteristics and know how to deal with difficulties and fast changes. They also grew up in a very unstable environment, so they are aware that crises come and go. Another important fact is that Brazilian retail is very developed regarding credit and payment tools.

Your firm has done extensive research on consumer behavior in several countries. What are the most important ways you are seeing consumer behavior change across the world?

Worldwide, we’ve seen the growth of what we call the Neoconsumer. It’s that global, multichannel, digital consumer who uses several shopping channels and makes retail competition global. This consumer can, using his smartphone, see that products in the store can be purchased at a lower price on a website from another country, and get the deal instantly. This brings amazing challenges to retailers. They will need to go way beyond price and product to make consumers loyal.

Besides that, with less time available, consumers will demand more and more services. Retailers will also need to help consumers solve problems. Offering solutions will be one of the greatest drivers of success over the next few years.

In Brazil, we’ve been experiencing huge demographic changes. In the last seven years, 30 million consumers migrated from poverty to the emerging middle class, leveraging the domestic market and changing everything. The growth of new consumers in large emerging markets will create opportunities for companies able to understand this process.

In addition to presenting at Retail’s BIG Show, you’ll also be bringing one of the international delegations from Brazil to the event. Who will be coming with you this year?

There will be more than 200 retail executives with us in 2012, including CEOs, presidents and executives of some of the country’s top companies, such as Grupo Pão de Açúcar, Riachuelo, Magazine Luiza, Máquina de Vendas and O Boticário.

Tell us about your history with Retail’s BIG Show. How long have you been attending, and why do you feel it is so important to come each year?

We’ve been going to Retail’s BIG Show for almost 20 years. When we started, the U.S. market was another world entirely, a reality completely different from ours. We watched the evolution of technology, the diversification of store formats, and wondered when Brazil would reach this level of sophistication.

Since then, our country has changed a lot and the BIG Show has become more and more interesting for Brazilian retailers because as U.S. and local retailers started inching closer, we could then exchange experiences. Today, in many aspects Brazil is in no way behind other retailers around the globe. And to be in New York every January is an amazing benchmarking opportunity with the world’s top players.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s event?

Besides Bill Clinton’s keynote speech? Well, we’re looking forward to the discussions on mobile retailing and cross channel. Those will be hot topics for Brazilian retailers. These are the areas in which the country’s companies are looking for benchmarks and want to learn from those who have already developed solid initiatives. Brazilians will also be interested in the discussions on the global economic scenario and its consequences for retail and shopping behavior.

We hope you’ll have some time to enjoy your trip when you come in January. What do you enjoy most about New York City?

The city is awesome, a fantastic place to be. Our program during Retail’s BIG Show is very intense, but we always manage to have some free time. New York is the center of global retail, and every year there are new stores, new concepts that show innovation is endless and creativity can always surprise you! It motivates our delegation to come back every year.  There are some executives that have been going with us for 10 years and never get tired of Retail’s BIG Show or New York!

For more information about what’s happening at Retail’s BIG Show this January, visit www.nrf.com/annual12.

This January, NRF expects 22,000 attendees to enjoy four days of educational programming, a sold-out EXPO Hall, an expanded conference space, and a keynote address from President Bill Clinton. That’s a pretty sprightly agenda for such a long-running event. So how has this 101-year-old tradition not only survived, but thrived? Easy: Our producers watch what works in order to keep getting bigger and better.

As the team lead for all of NRF’s events, we asked NRF Senior Vice President of Conferences Susan Newman for a glimpse into what NRF has up its sleeve for retail’s biggest event in 2012. In a quick Q&A, Newman shares how NRF’s 2012 event will be “the Super Bowl of retail conventions.”

It’s pretty impressive that this is the 101st year of NRF’s Annual Convention. How do you keep the show fresh and relevant for an industry that is constantly evolving?

We’ve done a lot to energize the content and the look and feel of the show. First, we’ve got President Bill Clinton as our keynote speaker, so that’s pretty exciting. We’ve also stepped up the level of all our programming to make the content more challenging. Shop.org’s First Look track will be available for the first time, which will provide a lot of great content for the digital folks.

The EXPO is sold out, so they’ll be even more exhibitors there showing revolutionary new technology. One place you’ll see a lot of really cutting-edge stuff is at our Customer Experience & Mobile Pavilion. Right now, it’s all about how you reach customers, engage with them, and help them engage with you. These guys have some really innovative tools to help you do that.

With more than 100 sessions running over four days, the scope of the programming is huge. How do you come up with the expansive content and high quality of speakers?

We work closely with our community to identify the current hot topics, and we’re also constantly looking ahead. It’s not just about what retailers are talking about today, it’s also about what the future of retail looks like. What’s happening to the brick-and-mortar store? What does it take to be a transformative leader in this dynamic industry? What can global merchants learn from one another? We provide that kind of visionary perspective at the show.

Who are some of the speakers this year that will create a lot of buzz?

President Clinton will be great. The other big hits should be the panel on Conscious Capitalism with CEOs from The Container Store  and Whole Foods Market,  and our closing panel on transformative leadership led by the CEO of Saks, Inc. Also, everybody’s talking digital, so we’re really excited about the new Shop.org First Look track focused on the future of digital retail.

Your attendee list includes retail’s best-known names both here in the U.S. and internationally. And a lot of attendees are C-level and senior executive level. What does that mean for people attending the show?

It’s kind of the Super Bowl of retail conventions because everybody’s there making connections and coming together to determine what the future will look like. And with such a strong showing from the international community, it’s really a global event.

Your attendees span a range of titles and management levels. How does that affect your programming?

We decided to program at the senior executive level because we hope to encourage innovation and stretch people’s minds. We don’t just want to give you a single “a-ha” moment, we want to give you an “a-ha” moment in every single session, on the EXPO floor and at lunch. We want you to go home with the knowledge, contacts and motivation to help you build a plan for entering the Brazilian market or for enhancing your mobile strategy—whatever your goals might be.

There are always cutting-edge gadgets and technology on the EXPO floor. What are the new things you’re looking forward to seeing this year?

One of the fun factors of Retail’s BIG Show is that many exhibitors wait to do their big reveal at the show. You’ve just got to be there to see what that next big thing is!

Regardless of whether you’re a 30-year veteran of the show or a first-timer, the wonderful thing about our hosting city is there’s always something new for everyone. In anticipation of our travel to New York City, we reached out to George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company, to share his views on retail’s impact on the city and resources for attendees to plan the perfect trip to the Big Apple.

For our readers who don’t know already, tell us what NYC & Company is all about.

NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York.  Mayor Bloomberg appointed me as CEO in 2006 when three previous entities were merged to form our new organization: the previous NYC & Company, NYC Marketing and NYC Big Events. NYC & Company is considered to be the leading municipal marketing, tourism and partnership organization in the world.

Shopping is a core part of the dynamic image of New York City. What would a New York City without retail look like?

Put simply, without shopping, New York City just wouldn’t be the same place. Shopping in New York is world-renowned—people come from everywhere to shop here and find something they can’t find anywhere else. It’s really the whole shopping experience that is so memorable.

New York City has established itself as the fashion capital of the United States. How did fashion and New York City become so closely intertwined over time?

New York City has always been a capital of commerce and creativity. It’s also a magnet for talent. People who come here are inspired by the City itself, which serves as a living laboratory of fashion. What is imagined and created here today will be worn tomorrow.

Lots of people visit New York for the shopping, and for many retailers the city is home to their flagship stores. Tell us about the role retail plays in the local New York City economy?

Retail is a driving force in New York City’s economy—it’s an industry that supports more than 298,000 jobs, representing close to $10 billion in wages.

20 percent of all our convention attendees shop, and they have an endless selection of shopping options right here in the five boroughs– from our flagship department stores to our unique boutiques.

We noticed you help market Fashion’s Night Out, a night in September dedicated to special retail promotions and in-store experiences. Who initially came up with this idea? With the event only having a two-year history, what do you think made it catch on so quickly throughout the U.S.?

Anna Wintour is credited with thinking up the initiative; however, it was she and Diane von Furstenberg who approached Mayor Bloomberg about executing the idea here in NYC.

The event, held to boost the City’s retail & fashion industries, was celebratory and inclusive while most fashion events, such as Fashion Week, tend to exclude the common citizen.  The evening was backed by dozens of notable brands, designers, models and celebrities, and crafted to be fun, ultimately helping to restore consumer confidence during an economic lull.

Foot traffic in the New York City stores participating in Fashion’s Night Out 2010 increased roughly 48% from 2009, according to ShopperTrak, a research and consulting firm.  According to an NYC & Company survey on FNO 2010, approximately 70% of respondents bought something and 71% visited a store they had never been to before.

The Garment District in New York City is less than one square mile in area and is home to several big-name fashion showrooms. In recent years, the district has become smaller in size. Where are the bigger stores relocating to? Where in New York City can shoppers find small, up-and-coming boutiques and labels?

New York City continually evolves—there are new shops and boutiques sprouting up throughout the City.  For good boutique shopping, check out places like the Lower East Side, the West Village, Williamsburg, and the Meatpacking District. Our website also has some great content – just type in the search word “shopping”.

What is it about New York City that keeps travelers coming and spending, despite these tough economic times?

New York City is an inspirational destination – when people come to New York City, the experience transforms them and leaves them with a long-lasting positive impression.  The energy, excitement, vibrancy and optimism of the City are universal draws. The City prides itself on its diversity – there’s something here for everyone who visits. We sometimes refer to the City as the “World’s Second Home.”

Can you let us in on any local hot-spots, where visitors can experience the New York City that locals know and love?

I encourage you to experience all we have to offer in Midtown, but also to sample a different neighborhood of the City – go to the West Village for instance – it’s a beautiful and intimate tree-lined neighborhood with great shops, restaurants and beautiful brownstones. Travel to SoHo or the Meatpacking District for excellent shopping. Try out Arthur Avenue in the Bronx to experience the City’s original “Little Italy.” For excellent Greek food, travel to Astoria in Queens. Williamsburg in Brooklyn is for those looking for a hip and trendy experience – ride the L train subway and get off at Bedford Avenue.  To take in the City’s views free of charge, take a ride on the free Staten Island Ferry.  You’ll pass by the Statue of Liberty and see the Lower Manhattan skyline from a unique vantage point.

Are there any special events attendees can expect to find happening in the city in mid-January?

We encourage you to check out the official tourism website for the latest events and information.  Our annual events are listed at www.nycgo.com/annualevents.

New York is famous for its wide variety of cuisines. What should we absolutely not miss when it comes to eating in the city?

New York City is famous for its food—the diversity of our cuisines and our restaurants is unmatched.  I recommend sampling some of our delicious street food – it’s inexpensive and easy to find, especially in midtown.  I also recommend trying a popular pizza joint – here’s a list of the top 10.

Finish this sentence, when I’m not working and have a night-off to enjoy the city I like to….

I enjoy walking different neighborhoods of the City with my wife – and popping into restaurants we never heard of. New York City really offers endless possibilities.

In celebration of the conference’s 100th anniversary, STORES’ BIG Show Preview includes a list of NYC restaurants, some of which our retail forefathers may have graced. And whether you’ve been attending this conference for more years that you’re ready to admit, or it’s your first trip to the Big Apple, you might find a new favorite spot on this list.

While you’re scouring the pages for what you want to eat next week, spend some time with this special edition. You’ll learn a lot about the last century of retail – the year “Black Friday” entered retail’s vocabulary, where and when the first UPC scanner was installed, and how retailers supported wounded veterans in the late 1940′s.

Be sure to read up before you join colleagues and friends for dinner in New York, and you’ll have lots of interesting facts to share.

NRF information:

• It’s no surprise that Halloween items topped our list of most valuable NRF resources last month, including our consumer spending and costume surveys and a few blog posts about hot costume ideas which can all be found at our Halloween Headquarters.
• Our programming is finalized and retailers are already beginning to make plans for NRF’s Annual Convention held in New York City in January. Our hottest sessions this year include a look at the global economy by Moody’s Economy.com’s chief economist Mark Zandi and the brand new International Sustainable Retailing Symposium – a whole day devoted to greentailing.
• After a sluggish 2009, many in the industry have been holding out to see if 2010 holiday sales will fare better than last. In early October, NRF released its holiday sales forecast, projecting a 2.3% increase in holiday sales for 2010. Our first holiday consumer intentions survey also found shoppers ready to spend a little more than last year as well.
• It’s about to be “all holiday, all the time.” The retail community has been taking advantage of NRF’s Holiday Headquarters – the one-stop shop for holiday research (new and historical), press releases, guidelines and the always important Holiday Survival Kit. New this season? Q&As with retailers – like the president of Hobby Lobby – on holiday trends and a Twitter feed to see the absolute latest holiday news.
• Congress may have taken a break until after the elections, but NRF didn’t. Last month we released a comprehensive economic analysis on the potential impact of a Value Added Tax on the U.S. economy and retail industry as a whole. The results? A loss of 850,000 jobs if VAT proposals are enacted. This is the report every retailer across the country should read.

Blog posts:

• Top ten holiday trends for 2010
• Hobby Lobby CEO talks holiday trends, employee loyalty and his proudest moment
• This year’s costumes could be crazier than ever
• KPMG exec talks 2010-2011 retail industry trends
• NRF’s Ellen Davis outlines reasons for holiday cheer on CNBC

Top retail news stories in NRF SmartBrief:

• NRF: VAT would eliminate 850,000 jobs
• How Pier 1′s CEO spearheaded a turnaround
• Activist investor acquires large stake in J.C. Penney
• Merchants move Black Friday deals to October
• Gap goes back to familiar logo

NRF Information:

• It might seem like retailers may have tunnel vision for the holiday season, but they’re looking ahead to 2011, too. That’s one reason why NRF’s Annual Convention event page was one of the most popular pages on our site last month. Another reason? Everybody loves the idea of being invited to a party that only happens once every 100 years!
• Though the holiday brings in far less than other secondary holidays like Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day, retailers nationwide were anticipating the release of NRF’s Halloween survey last month. Check out both the findings from this year’s spending survey as well as a list of this year’s top costumes in NRF’s Halloween Headquarters.
• As retailers and analysts continue to plan ahead for 2011, NRF’s 4-5-4 calendar remains one of the hottest resources on our site.
• NRF’s Retail Reference Center, which houses white papers and industry research, continued to be a popular resource for companies. One new addition this month was a white paper on trends in the convenience store industry.
• We were expecting a sustainability webinar held at the end of the month featuring a Walmart executive to be hugely popular – and it was. So it’s no surprise that a Q&A on green trends in retail featuring SAP’s Jim Sullivan, who used to spearhead the EPA’s Climate Leaders program, was also a winner. (Miss the webinar? It’s not too late to watch it on demand.)

Blog posts:

• How URBN CEO Glen Senk sees mobile as a game-changer
• L.L.Bean President shares secrets to top-notch customer service
• Southwest Marketing VP shares 10 social media lessons
• Want to see what the future of shopping looks like?
• Albuquerque’s “most prolific burglar” heads to jail

Top retail news in NRF SmartBrief:

• TJX and Ross succeed by understanding their shoppers
• At Lululemon Athletica, everyday women take center stage
• Walmart CEO Mike Duke’s secret weapon: Post-It notes
• Kohl’s plans to debut new line
• Target to debut smaller urban stores, starting in Seattle