• Online Ad Campaigns Using Purchaser Data Nearly Triples ROI (Nielsen Catalina Solutions)
• Consumer sentiment rose in May to highest level since 2007 (Reuters)
• Infographic: The Pre-Purchase Behavior of Shoppers (Multichannel Merchant)
• JC Penney’s Rational Pricing Strategy Ignores Irrational Shoppers (AdAge)
• Retail Real Estate Industry Is Optimistic, But Still Wary (NREIOnline)
• Brand advocacy becoming critical part of the social media marketing mix (eMarketer)
• What Flash Sites Are Suggesting About Consumers (CNBC)
• Facebook’s Acquisition of Karma Brings Mobile Commerce Prowess (TechCrunch)
• Study Projects $12 Trillion in New Consumer Spending over Next Decade (A.T. Kearney)
• How one man’s force of will built a retailing empire (Star Tribune)
• For Some Mall Owners, Is There Life After Sears? (WSJ)
• Running Shoes as Fashion Statement Spur Industry Growth (Businessweek)
• Three Myths about What Customers Really Want (HBR)
• Are We Witnessing the Death of the Big-Box Store? (Time)
• Are consumers buying from window displays versus going in-store? (MCommerce Daily)
• Retailers Cautiously Eyeing Expansion Into More U.S. Markets as Shopping Activity Rises (CoStar Group)

source: Multichannel Merchant

• Consumers turning to smartphones & social media for grocery shopping (NPD Group)
• What’s Driving Retail Real Estate’s Recovery and Who’s Getting There First (Colliers)
• Past, present and future of billion-dollar Giorgio Armani brand (WSJ)
• Consumer Comfort In U.S. Hovered Near 4-Month Low Last Week (Bloomberg)
• Infographic: Does Social Media Marketing Really Work? (Pagemodo)
• How Web Traffic is Driving Brick and Mortar Expansion (Forbes)
• Graduation gift giving to top $4.7 billion in 2012 (NRF)
• No life of luxury as Tiffany plunges on weak outlook (Businessweek)
• More People Feeling Optimistic About Travel, Spending This Memorial Day Weekend (IBM)
• Verifone & PayPal Partner To Change The Way You Shop At Big Retailers (Fast Company)
• Possible Department Store Domination in Women’s Clothing? (BIGinsight)
• Why Your Online Checkout System Hurts Your Sales (Mashable)

source: IBM

• Despite the rise of e-commerce, the venerable print catalog continues to thrive (CNBC)
• With Shopkick, Target Takes On Showrooming (Portfolio.com)
• Insights into the Digital Lives of America’s Black Consumers (NielsenWire)
• Is Mass Customization (Finally) the Future of Products? (AdAge)
• Urban Outfitters sees progress in turnaround efforts (Forbes)
• Gen Y and Self-Service: A Love Story (Retail Customer Experience)
• No Deal More Fashionable Than Guess As Cash Lures LBO (Bloomberg)
• How Gatorade Redefined Its Audience And A Flagging Brand (Fast Company)
• The U.S. Demographic Shift: A ‘Tipping Point’ for Marketers (Knowledge@Wharton)
• Best Buy’s Interim CEO Says Company Must Acknowledge The Truth (Business Insider)
• Shopping In Malls With Friends Goes Digital (Mashable)
• IKEA constructs loyalty program with mobile in the forefront (Mobile Commerce Daily)
• Retailers Leveraging Tablets To Boost Sales & Elevate Brand (NRF)
• As U.S. retailers retreat, Uniqlo starts aggressive growth plan at shopping malls (NY Times)
• The Huge Power Shift In The Retail Supply Chain (Retailomania)
• Best brands in luxury jewelry according to ultra-wealthy U.S. shoppers (Luxury Institute)

sourc: NielsenWire

click below to see giant graphic of 10-year history by store type

With 1st quarter earnings season nearly halfway through, it’s becoming quite clear the post-Easter slowdown witnessed in April was far more than just the result of a calendar shift.

The common refrain from retailers this past quarter was a strong start to the year driven by unseasonably warm weather and the early Easter, followed by a significant drop-off post-Easter through the end of April.

Shoppers splurged earlier than usual on spring merchandise, and with a stagnating job market and teetering stock market, have curbed spending on all but necessities.

Gas prices have declined for 7 straight weeks, somewhat easing the burden on household balance sheets, but unfortunately consumer confidence has followed suit.

“The lagged impact of rising food and fuel prices early in 2012 and a slower pace of hiring amid a decelerating economy are the likely culprits behind the near reversal of gains in consumer comfort observed through the first quarter,” said Joseph Brusuelas, a senior economist at Bloomberg LP in New York. “The ability of the household to reassert its place as the primary driver of growth during the current business cycle remains limited due to modest job growth and incomes.”

According to ICSC, chain store sales have decreased for 4 consecutive weeks and 5 out of the past 6 weeks. “Consumers seemed to take a ‘time out’ despite the abnormally warm temperatures throughout the nation and receding gasoline prices,” said Michael Niemira, ICSC’s vice president of research and chief economist.

He noted that Memorial Day may spark a positive end to May, but with a less than impressive turnout for Mother’s Day we are not as optimistic.

Tuesday Retail & Consumer Reading List:

• Luxury-Crazy Chinese Fuel Soaring Retail Rents In Hong Kong (Bloomberg)
• Online retailer Bonobos moves offline to provide more personal service (PSFK)
• E-Commerce in China: How the World’s Biggest Market Buys Online (Mashable)
• Macy’s 2.0 Sales Strategy Puts Pedal to the Metal in Digital (Forbes)
• Digital Goes Offline: Can Brands Take Back The Store? (Adotas)
• J. Crew and the Man Who Dressed America (The Record)
• Overall U.S. Retail Real Estate Market Recovery Remains Modest (Jones Lang LaSalle)
• How Moosejaw’s marketing madness wins over Gen Y (MarketingDaily)
• Infographic: Shopping Cart Abandonment Rate Statistics (Invesp)
• Study Finds Giant Food & ShopRite Are Consumers’ Favorite Grocers (Market Force)
• Is online shopping better for lowering carbon footprint than going to the store? (FastCoEXIST)
• Home Depot vs Lowe’s: The Fight for Head of Household (Denver Post)
• Retail Landlords Sigh in Relief as Leasing Activity Gains Momentum (Retail Traffic)
• New Study Reveals Freebie Promotions Motivate Sales (iYogi Insights)
• Walmart tops list of world’s most valuable retail brands (Retailing Today)

source: Invesp

• Proof That Pinterest Drives Sales, And Its Fans Spend Big (Fast Company)
• Can Department Stores Win Back Shoppers? (SmartMoney)
• Asking rents on NYC’s prime shopping streets seeing significant increases (REBNY)
• Store Brands Muscle In on National Brands’ Comfort Zone (Ipsos)
• The Man Who Took on Amazon and Saved a Bookstore (Forbes)
• A wealth of wallets: The fierce battle for control of mobile payments (Economist)
• Barney’s New York redesigns website for ‘shopping with a story’ (RetailDigital)
• Inside Apple’s secret plan to kill the cash register (ComputerWorld)
• The cost of losing a customer’s trust (GigaOM)
• Retailers rethinking the role of bick-and-mortar stores (Chicago Tribune)
• Just 1.5% of Shoppers Decide Success of New CPG Products (Catalina)
• Liz Claiborne officially transforms itself into Fifth & Pacific (Crain’s NY)
• Are Consumers Ready for Mobile Grocery Shopping? (AdAge)
• Social Media & Digital Marketing Engagement Gap (Business 2 Community)

source: Fast Company

• Coupon offers lead to highest engagement on Facebook (Mashable)
• Why Everyday Low Pricing Might Not Fit J.C. Penney (Businessweek) and Why JCPenney’s ‘No More Coupons’ Experiment Is Failing (Time)
• American Consumers Reducing Discretionary Spending on Most Categories (Empathica)
• Canadian retailers brace for more cross-border shopping pain (Globe and Mail)
• Starbucks brews loyalty with mobile payments (MSN Money)
• Consumers delaying shopping until Memorial Day Weekend at all-time high (Chain Store Age)
• Convenience & Mobile Ads Rank as Top Drivers of Mobile Phone Shopping Activities (IAB)
• Lifestyle Retail Centers Launching a Comeback (Retail Traffic)
• Apple Store’s Secret Sauce: 5 Steps of Service (Forbes)
• U.S. e-commerce sales increased 15.4% to $53.2 billion in Q1 (US Dept of Commerce)
• Millennials: Young, Broke, and Spending on Luxury (The Fiscal Times)
• American brands exporting luxury wares to Brazil (Bloomberg)
• Will mild winter mean summertime blues for retailers? (Reuters)
• Wal-Mart’s Slow Expansion of Small-Format Stores Gives Rivals Running Room (WSJ)
• Why Mobile Shopping Is Not Mobile Buying (MobileInsider)
• Brand Fail: Marketers struggle to break through the wall of consumer criticism (Adweek)
• Consumer preference for rebates vs instant discounts is growing (Parago)
• The End Of The Retail World As We Know It (Retailomania)
• How big-box retailers are localizing stores with Facebook (AdAge)

• Francesca’s CFO tweets himself out of a job (Houston Chronicle)
• Malls Turn to Play Areas to Get Moms to Shop (WSJ)
• Teens & Tweens More Engaged When Purchasing Beauty Products (NPD Group)
• Study Shows Thin Models Don’t Make Most Women Want To Shop (NY Mag)
• JC Penney Plans Ads to Better Explain New Pricing Strategy (AdAge)
• Mobile Phone Shoppers Show Growing Preference for Text Marketing (eMarketer)
• 1962: The Year That Forever Changed Retail (Bloomberg)
• The future of customer support: Outsourcing is so last year (Economist)
• Research Shows Consumers Choose Brands the Same Way They Choose People (RCG)
• Plus-size line meets a passion for fashion at The Limited (STORES)
• Study Reveals Tablets are Emerging as the Consumer Device of Choice (Adobe)
• Social Shopping Platform Is Like Twitter For Fashion Advice (PSFK)
• There’s Retail Magic in Silicon Dust: America’s Most Connected Retailers (US News & World Report)
• With Redesign, Social Shopping Becomes Fab.com’s Main Focus (TechCrunch)
• Google’s Tim Reis Reveals ‘Mobile Playbook’ for Marketers (OnlineMediaDaily)
• State of the Appnation: A Year of Change & Growth in U.S. Smartphones (NielsenWire)
• Etsy Seeks Scale without Losing Its ‘Street Fair’ Aesthetic (Knowledge@Wharton)

source: Adobe

For 15 years, Fortune has annually published the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For‘ in America.

Below, we take a look at the top 10 American retailers to work for – those companies that have consistently made the list by treating their employees as their most important asset. It’s no coincidence that all of these chains are known for their stellar customer service and are among the best-performing in their respective sectors.

Wegman’s Food Markets
2012 Overall Rank: 4
5-YR Avg Rank: 3.6
Employees: 41,717
Voluntary Turnover: 4%
1-YR Job Growth: 5%
Most common job (salaried): Store Department Manager – $56,040/yr
Most common job (hourly): Store Customer Service – $29,286/yr

With 2011 sales of $6.2 billion, this 79-store grocery chain is the 55th-largest private company in the U.S. What truly distinguishes Wegman’s is its people, though – the company has made the ‘Best Companies to Work For’ list every year since its inception in 1998 and has never had a layoff, one of only 3 American companies that can claim both.

If the company has to close a store, eliminate a department or position, it has always managed to keep the employees and retrained them for new positions saying they would rather have trained staff than have to invest in new hires later. As a testament to how great a place it is to work, 11% of the workforce has been with the company for more than 15 years.

Each year every employee gets a holiday greeting card from the Wegman family, who still own the grocery chain.

Wegman’s has been ranked in the top 10 every year since 2003 and in the top 5 places to work each year since 2005, when it was ranked #1.

Recreational Equipment (REI)
2012 Overall Rank: 8
5-YR Avg Rank: 15.4
Employees: 10,466
Voluntary Turnover: 5%
1-YR Job Growth: 12%
Most common job (salaried): Retail Store Manager – $103,112/yr
Most common job (hourly): Retail Sales Specialist – $27,924/yr

The privately held consumers’ cooperative has made the list every year since inception, one of only 5 retailers and 13 companies overall to do so.

Perhaps it’s because every employee is eligible for subsidized health care? Or maybe it’s the 50%-75% discounts on full-price REI branded apparel and equipment, free rental of equipment like skis and kayaks, and annual gifts of REI gear?

It could be that after 15 years of service employees are eligible for a 4-week paid sabbatical, as well as one every 5 years after that. REI was also ranked 4th overall for work-life balance, where employees feel “encouraged to balance their work and personal life.”

Whole Foods Market
2012 Overall Rank: 32
5-YR Avg Rank: 22.4
Employees: 60,213
Voluntary Turnover: 7%
1-YR Job Growth: 6%
Most common job (salaried): Associate Store Team Leader – $80,199/yr
Most common job (hourly): Cashier – $26,812/yr

Whole Foods has been on the list every year since inception – though the company has grown from just 87 stores and $1.7 billion in sales in 1998 to 311 markets and over $10.1 billion in sales last year, it hasn’t scaled back on providing for its employees.

In the age of executive excess, executive pay is capped at 19 times the average full-time salary and co-founder and CEO John Mackey has taken a salary of just $1 since 2006.

Minorities are extremely well-represented at 43% of workers. New hires get a 20% discount card for all products sold in the stores and employees who meet the goals of a healthy-living challenge get up to 30%, and the company pays 100% of employees’ health-care premiums.

The Container Store
2012 Overall Rank: 22
5-YR Avg Rank: 26.2
Employees: 3,495
Voluntary Turnover: 9%
1-YR Job Growth: 11%
Most common job (salaried): Store Managers – $70,539/yr
Most common job (hourly): Sales – $44,981/yr

Known for its laser focus on customer service, this niche storage and organizer retailer has been on the list every year since 2000, with an average rank of 12.7 over that period – it has twice been ranked #1 and been in the top 10 seven times.

In its more than 33-year history, the company has never had a layoff. CEO Kip Tindell said “If you put your employees first, they will truly take the best care of their customer,”

Employees enjoy fully paid sabbaticals and rigorous professional training – an almost unheard of 263 hour per year. Women are well represented at 66%, and make up the majority of store managers, vice presidents and directors.

Nordstrom
2012 Overall Rank: 61
5-YR Avg Rank: 59.2
Employees: 52,431
Voluntary Turnover: N/A
1-YR Job Growth: 6%
Most common job (salaried): Sales Department Manager – $49.500/yr
Most common job (hourly): Salesperson – $40,000/yr

Nordstrom has graced this list for 15 straight years, and happy employees make for happy customers – the company has long been the gold standard for outstanding customer service.

The average wage for retail salespeople is about $12 an hour; at Nordstrom it’s $19.18. With commissions, some make more than $200,000 a year. The company survived the recession with zero layoffs, and no cuts were made in pay or benefits.

Women make up 47% of the workforce, and comprise the majority of executives and senior managers, and minorities are very well represented at 42%.

Publix Super Markets
2012 Overall Rank: 78
5-YR Avg Rank: 82
Employees: 147,760
Voluntary Turnover: 3%
1-YR Job Growth: 1%
Most common job (salaried): Store Manager – $110,644/yr
Most common job (hourly): Deli Clerk – $26,753/yr

Despite being the nation’s fourth largest grocer and one of the largest retailers in America, Publix has always focused on its people – it’s the largest employee-owned company in the U.S.

Along with Wegman’s, Publix is one of only 3 companies who can boast they have both been on the ‘Best Companies to Work For’ every year since inception and never had a single layoff.

After just 1 year of employment, all employees become stockholders and get generous annual stock infusions. Publix sports a ridiculously low 3% voluntary turnover rate, and more than 20,000 employees have worked at the company for more than 10 years.

QuikTrip
2012 Overall Rank: 66
5-YR Avg Rank: 39.2
Employees: 11,615
Voluntary Turnover: 9%
1-YR Job Growth: 3%
Most common job (salaried): Store Manager – $69,383/yr
Most common job (hourly): Relief Assistant – $44,300/yr

QuikTrip is the 33rd largest private company in America, and has been a top company to work for every year since 2003.

Training and promotion from within is gospel at QuikTrip, and benefits include tuition reimbursement up to $4,000, fully paid sabbaticals and adoption aid. New employees are taken under the wing of mentors, who work with them for two weeks. 9% turnover is almost unheard of for convenience stores.

Oh year, and in its more than 40-year history the company has never had a layoff and more than 200 employees have worked there more than 20 years.

Starbucks
2012 Overall Rank: 73
5-YR Avg Rank: 59
Employees: 109,477
Voluntary Turnover: 12%
1-YR Job Growth: 3%
Most common job (salaried): Store Manager – $53,634/yr
Most common job (hourly): Distribution Partner – $33,614/yr

Even though it’s grown from a small Seattle upstart to the retail giant it is today, Starbucks has managed to stay ranked as a top place to work, having made the list every year since inception except for 2001.

All employees are entitled to perks including full health insurance benefits, stock awards, tuition reimbursements and free coffee.

But what sets Starbucks apart is how well-trained employees are: As I can attest to, having worked as a barista in high school, new employees don’t set foot in a store until they get 40 hours of classroom and virtual store training. Salaried employees receive a minimum of 112 hours of professional training per year, with part-timers getting at least 70 hours.

Men’s Wearhouse
2012 Overall Rank: 55
5-YR Avg Rank: 76.4
Employees: 14,784
Voluntary Turnover: 17%
1-YR Job Growth: 2%
Most common job (salaried): MW Store Manager – $63,991/yr
Most common job (hourly): Full Time Tailor – $37,783/yr

This dress apparel retailer has appeared on the list for 11 of the past 13 years.

Showing its loyalty to employees, CEO George Zimmer took a 20% pay cut in 2009, senior vice presidents sliced 5% and members of the board of directors took 10% cuts to avoid layoffs.

100% of multi-store managers were hired from within the company, wardrobe consultants earn commissions 50% higher than the industry average, tailors get an extra day off, and distribution-center workers compete for monthly awards.

After 5 years of service employees are eligible for 3-week paid sabbaticals & 3 weeks of paid vacation per year. More than half (52%) of employees are minorities.

Nugget Markets
2012 Overall Rank: 34
5-YR Avg Rank: 13.8
Employees: 1,135
Voluntary Turnover: 7%
1-YR Job Growth: 8%
Most common job (salaried): Store Director – $108,471/yr
Most common job (hourly): Checker – $40,333/yr

Employees cite the close-knit family feel as reason they look forward to going to work at this 9-store family owned upscale supermarket chain. The company has been a best place to work every year since 2006 and has been in the top 13 for 5 of the last 7 years.

In its 85-year history, Nugget has never had a layoff. The company pays 100% of employees’ health care premiums, and everyone is eligible for a pension and 401(k). Employees get 10% discounts on all store purchases and checkers earn an average of $17.71 an hour.

Here are some honorable mentions for companies we didn’t include either because they haven’t been on the list at least 5 times or fell off this year:

• Zappos.com has made the list for 4 straight years and was ranked 11th this year, with the highest 1-yr job growth (70%) of any company on the list. They pay 100% of their employees’ health-care premiums, offer over 100 hours of professional training per year, free lunches, no-charge vending machines, and have a full-time life coach on hand.
• Build-A-Bear Workshop made the list for the 4th consecutive year, with turnover half the industry average and perks including their solid health insurance and 401(k) plans, as well as offering art-time store workers health, dental, and vision benefits.
• Stew Leonard’s broke a string of 10 straight appearances on the list this year. The 4-store supermarket chain is known for its customer-service policy, which greets shoppers at each store’s entrance etched into a three-ton rock: 1) The customer is always right. 2) If the customer is ever wrong, re-read rule #1. The company offers profit-sharing, pays 100% of employees’ health-care premiums and has the greatest sales per unit area of any single food store in the U.S., according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

• Mobile Devices Transforming Women’s Shopping Experiences (Total Beauty Media Group)
• Walmart Shoppers Indicate ‘Everyday Low Prices’ Extremely Important, but Cross-shopping Still Prevalent (ClickIQ)
• Why Most Successful Branding Still Happens Offline (WSJ)
• Nordstrom in Fashion with Social Media & Mobile Tech (US News & World Report)
• Emerging International Markets Pique Interest for Retail Expansion (Retail Traffic)
• American Express Leverages Spending Data For Mobile Deals You Actually Care About (Fast Company)
• Changing Behaviors of Today’s Cost-Conscious Grocery Shoppers (MaxPoint Interactive)
• Fashion Executives on Fast Company’s ‘Most Creative People In Business’ List (Racked)
• Where Dollar Stores Are Still Not Welcome (Time)
• Target’s Little Shop-in-Shop Of Surprises (MarketingDaily)
• Location, location, location: Where to put digital signage in retail (Retail Customer Experience)
• 12 Ways Businesses Can Prepare for Mobile Commerce (Mashable)
• The New Weapon in Online Sales: Traditional Stores (WSJ)
• For U.S. Consumers, Different Stores Mean Different Smartphone Shopping Behavior (NielsenWire)

source: NielsenWire