Merger and Acquisition Activity Rebound

In the latest edition of The Lempert Report, food industry observer Phil Lempert reports on The Food Institute and its annual report on Food Industry Mergers and Acquisitions for 2010. While the final report will not be available until February, Lempert shares some early numbers released by the Institute. The findings are good news for members of the at-retail merchandising and marketing services industry, who often act as change agents to execute the at-retail results of merger and acquisition activity among retailers and brand marketers.

According to the story, merger and acquisition activity has tracked slightly over 300 deals in 2010 which is an increase of around 20% over 2009. Although that is a strong indication of a rebound, it is still well shy of the 422 deals recorded in 2008. In particular, the third quarter alone saw over 100 deals announced. The timing of those deals should be of interest to NARMS members.

Being at the ready is a hallmark of NARMS members. On the retailer side, our PIC members are experts at converting stores in all channels to a new banner. While some stores close down for a brief period to remodel, there are also many other instances where the store stays open. Either way, this group of change experts is adept at getting stores changed over on-time and on-budget.

Brand acquisitions often are accompanied by a shift in go-to-market strategy as the new owner attempts to grow or expand its new property with an enhanced at-retail marketing presence. MSOs and Event Marketers can quickly put programs into place with their expert decentralized workforce of trained retail representatives to help brand marketers realize the expected sales lift sooner. The independent food brokers of the IFBA are regional experts at expanding the distribution of brands into new markets.

Increased mergers and acquisitions almost always mean new at-retail marketing activity. You can stay in touch with this activity by reading the weekly merger and acquisition column in the weekly Food Institute Report.

Better Economy Means More Job Offers

The economy has been showing brief glimpses of improvement for months, but has been awaiting the big breakthrough that will signal more optimistic times for business people. As in the past, the first sign of economic thawing is a loosening of consumer spending. According to a story in Home Channel News, consumers represent 70% of the economy. Customer Growth Partners reports that the important holiday shopping period has yielded a 5% sales increase, the biggest year-over-year growth since 2005. This is all occurring in the face of a 9.8% unemployment rate. But that might be changing too. Now it appears that U.S. companies are starting to fire up their recruiting by advertising thousands of job openings.

According to The Wall Street Journal, internet job postings as tracked by Indeed Inc. rose to 4.7 million on Dec. 1, up from 2.7 million a year earlier. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 3.2 million private-sector job openings at the end of October, up from 2.3 million a year earlier.

Indeed Inc. also tells us that many of these new job postings are in the retail industry. As retailer cash position improves, it stands to reason that they will begin to hire again in order to keep pace with the uptick in consumer activity.

What does this mean to the members of the professional at-retail merchandising and marketing services industry? Only time will tell, but here are a few thoughts. As retailers begin to hire, current merchandisers may be enticed to leverage their in-store experience to take full-time retail opportunities. This will make the role of recruiting quality merchandisers more important than ever. On the hand, an increase in retailer and manufacturer spending on labor does not automatically mean an increase in staff. Outsourcing of important shelf work may become more commonplace to free up existing store staffs to take care of the customer.

NARMS is ready to help you navigate through the recovery with two recruitment resources. Members pay $85 to post jobs in the JobBank. It is a 30-day posting that allows the same position to be listed in multiple locations. The Recruiter is a searchable database available to members with an expanded listing. If you have not advertised a job on JobBank for awhile, you may want to reconnect with this terrific resource. Your listing goes far beyond just those searching www.narms.com because it is also automatically sent out to several popular job search sites and social networks. It is truly a one-stop shop for all your recruiting needs. NARMScertifyU, our on-line training tool, is available for you and your at-retail field reps to improve their skills and abilities. Block pricing is available for companies who want to purchase this training directly for their field force.

No matter the shape of the new economic landscape, the core competency of NARMS members will always be building and managing a highly-trained and professional decentralized workforce ready to be employed at a moments notice. Taking advantage of membership resources to maintain and expand this foothold seems to make even more sense against these new economic measurements.

Retail sales up, beating forecasts

Shoppers spent more money this holiday season than even before the recession, according to preliminary retail data released on Monday.

After a 6 percent free fall in 2008 and a 4 percent uptick last year, retail spending rose 5.5 percent in the 50 days before Christmas, exceeding even the more optimistic forecasts, according to MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, which tracks retail spending.

Read the full story in the NY Times

Dec 24, 2010 IRI/Morning NewsBeat

Below is the list of articles you will find for the week ending 12/24/10 edition of Retail Industry News.

- Sansolo Speaks: “Poker Face”
- Report: Supervalu Trying To Sell Shaws, But No Takers
- Food Fight: The Disconnect Between Costs & Prices
- Congress Passes Food Safety Legislation
- Fresh Direct Said To Be Seeking $200 Million To Fund Expansion
- Lowes Foods-To-Go Tests Express Service
- Dollar Stores Have High Hopes For Christmas & Beyond
- FastNewsBeat
- The MNB Wal-Mart Watch
- Executive Suite

Click here to read Retail Industry News

Retail job offers on the rise

As the economy gradually recovers, some big U.S. companies are cranking up their recruiting and advertising thousands of job openings, ranging from retail clerks and nurses to bank tellers and experts in cloud computing.

Many of the new jobs are in retailing, accounting, consulting, health care, telecommunications and defense-related industries, according to data collected for The Wall Street Journal by Indeed Inc., which runs one the largest employment websites. It said the number of U.S. job postings on the Internet rose to 4.7 million on Dec. 1, up from 2.7 million a year earlier. The company daily collects listings from corporate and job-posting websites, removing duplicates.

Read the complete article at WSJ.com

Today expected to be busiest day of the 2010 holiday season for retailers

NEW YORK – Holiday procrastinators are preparing to zoom through picked-over stores, grabbing discounted sweaters and can’t-go-wrong gift cards. If they can get a parking spot, that is. But you won’t hear retailers complaining.

For stores, this 11th-hour dash caps the best holiday season since 2007, and possibly the best ever. With Christmas falling on a Saturday this year, Friday is a holiday for most U.S. workers. That allowed shoppers to hit the stores first thing in the morning.

Read the entire article on Yahoo! News

Making a List

Various reports from industry analysts and the Commerce Department are describing improved, and in some cases, even optimistic retail sales results for the all important holiday shopping season. For members of the at-retail merchandising and marketing services industry, that is welcome news. As some parts of the country are digging out from a record setting snowfall, the economy is also showing signs of recovery. Retail sales are leading the charge as an important indicator of consumer confidence. Shoppers, although still vigilant, are starting to dig out of a long and heavy spending lull which brings the retail industry new meaning when wishing each other a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

For NARMS, the holidays mean that it is time to put a bow on the many offerings that enable our members to have a happy new year. In the spirit of the season, we are making a list of some things to look forward to.

NARMS membership renewal and expanded listing payments are due December 31, 2010. You have the option to renew your membership online with a credit card payment at http://www.narms.com/renew. You may also use the traditional method of completing the hard copy renewal form that was previously emailed and paying by check or credit card. For any help with the renewal process or to get your questions answered, contact Sue Witkowski or Paulette Blaskey. Their phone number is 715-342-0948.

Do not delay in registering for the NARMS Spring Conference. Registration for the NARMS 2011 Spring Conference is available in the conference area on narms.com. The agenda, a link to hotel reservations, sponsorship information, and conference registration can be found here. Trade show information is also available. The registration fee is discounted through December 31st so register early. On January 1st the fee is increased from $475 per person to $525 per person.

The 8th Annual IFBA Top to Top Executive Business Conference will be held on May 17-19, 2011 at Renaissance Chicago Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. Registration for the event will be on-line shortly.

GlobalShop is an exciting option for your sales and marketing plans in 2011. The show runs from March 28-30 in Las Vegas at the Sands Expo and Convention Center. NARMS is one of three associations who are co-sponsoring GlobalShop, the largest annual trade show and conference dedicated to store design, visual merchandising and shopper marketing.

These are just a few items on the list of a value packed membership platform for 2011. Stay tuned for more details in the weeks and months ahead. From all of us here in the NARMS family, may each of you have a very Merry Christmas, a happy holiday and a safe and prosperous New Year.

The Opportunity Starts With You

The NARMS = Opportunity membership campaign that was launched in October encourages all of our members to spread the news that NARMS is committed to improving the professionalism and raising the standards of at-retail execution. Even though the organization is undergoing a leadership transition, the commitment toward building the ranks of the membership has never been stronger. It is still vitally important that our members be our best evangelists. It is also particularly important that our members renew their own memberships for two reasons. First, the show of strength goes a long way toward building momentum and attracting new members. Secondly, you will not want to miss out on any of the benefits of membership, even for a day.

It has never been easier for you to renew your membership. For the first time in history, you have the option to renew your membership online with a credit card payment at http://www.narms.com/renew. Or, if you are so inclined, you may still use the traditional method of completing the hard copy renewal form that was previously emailed and paying by check or credit card. If paying by check, please mail your payment to: NARMS, c/o The Pineries Bank, 3601 Main Street, Stevens Point, WI 54481. Our general mailing address is NARMS, 2417 Post Road, Suite A, Stevens Point, WI 54481.

NARMS membership renewal and expanded listing payments are due December 31, 2010. As a matter of process, all unpaid expanded listings will be turned off on January 4, 2011. This will result in the loss of valuable membership features such as use of the Recruiter database and the NARMS JobBank. For any help with the renewal process or to get your questions answered, contact Sue Witkowski or Paulette Blaskey. Their phone number is 715-342-0948.

There is no doubt that membership has declined in recent years. However, your trade association still remains strong and the future looks extremely bright. In the last few weeks, we have seen a flurry of new membership activity and expect it to continue. The NARMS staff, guided by the board of directors and division committees, is hard at work continuing to plan what promises to be a great Spring Conference in Monterey, California in April.

NARMS is only as strong as its members make it. So while you are out spreading the good word, do not forget to renew your own membership. It is the ultimate statement in your belief in the organization and a commitment to excellence for the industry.

Dec 17, 2010 IRI/Morning NewsBeat

Below is the list of articles you will find for the week ending 12/17/10 edition of Retail Industry News.

- Walmart Maneuvering For New York Entry
- A&P Files For Bankruptcy
- Sansolo Speaks: “Even Rich Shoppers Get the Blues”
- Costco Plans Third Aussie Store As Part Of Global Expansion
- When It Comes To Toy Prices, Walmart Isn’t Playing Around
- Target Doubles Down On Food Expansion Efforts
- Rite Aid Sees Sales Bump From Grocery-Drug Combo Format
- FastNewsBeat
- Executive Suite

Click here to read Retail Industry News

Shoppers spending more in Christmas countdown

NEW YORK — The malls were packed last weekend, and in many places it’s beginning to look a little like a pre-recession Christmas.

Americans spent more than last year on clothing, luxury goods and even furniture, delivering healthy gains across the board Oct. 31 through Saturday, according to MasterCard Advisors’ SpendingPulse, which tracks spending across all transactions including cash.

The online category continued to be a bright spot. The big exception was consumer electronics, dragged down by deep discounting of TVs. That area was virtually unchanged from a year ago.

Read the entire article at USA Today