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 Friday
Facts - Archives -
Month
of October 2003
Current
Week
October 31, 2003
CRMA annual Meeting completed for the year. State Legislature set to go back into special session. CRMA and DOL to hold seminar before holiday shopping season begins. Workforce Development update, Retail news and notes
· On Wednesday of this week we concluded our annual meeting and awards luncheon for the year.
· For those of you who attended, we thank you all very much. We hope that you will join us again next year, maybe even tell a friend or a colleague about us.
· We also want to thank Dr. Henry Lee for his remarks. He is a remarkable treasure for us in this state and we thank him for taking time out of his schedule to join us.
· We also want to congratulate once again our Retailer of the Year, Bob’s Discount Furniture. Bob's is a most deserving recipient and we wish them continued success in the future.
· Finally, thanks to all the sponsors who made this event possible. Without your generous support the day would not have been the success it was.
Annual Meeting update:
· Prior to the luncheon, the CRMA annual meeting took place. Among the agenda items acted on by the group was election of officers for the 2004 year. .
The 2004 slate of officers for CRMA are as follows:
· Chairman – James McGinn, Filene’s
· Vice Chairperson – Ann Loesch, Huffman Koos
· Secretary/Treasure – Marc Green, Lux Bond and Green
· Immediate Past Chair – Thomas R. Zapf, Macy’s East
· Members of CRMA should note that you are in good hands with this leadership team. They are all dedicated to the betterment of the industry and the association. Congratulations to all of them.
State Capitol update:
· We keep hearing rumors that the state Legislature is coming back into special session to finish some work leftover from the regular session.
· We understand that the Governor does not want them to go back in, fearing they could do more harm than good, while the House and Sen. Leaders are looking at a two day session at the most to deal with some Higher Education Bonding issues.
· Look for Friday Nov. 7th or Monday November 10th as possible days the Legislature could go back.
CRMA and DOL
· We have finalized plans regarding a seminar that we are co hosting with the DOL.
· If you recall from previous Friday Facts, we have been in contact with the DOL regarding their desire to speak to members about federal labor laws such as minimum wage, overtime, child labor, family medical leave and other topics.
· The seminar will be held at our offices at 60 Forest Street in Hartford on Tuesday November 18, 2003. We will have more details for you in next weeks Friday Facts, we hope to set a time in the morning.
· The cost is $15.00 per person for members, $20.00 per person for non-members.
· Please contact our office directly at 860-527-1044 or through our website, www.crmaonline.com if you are interested in attending.
Workforce Development update:
· New workforce development initiatives are brewing at
CRMA. We are piloting an internship program that will target college students and one stop clients between the ages of 18-23 years old.
· We plan to place interns in “behind the scenes” departments in retailing, beginning as early as February 2004. Departments may include, but are not limited to: Marketing, Buying, Accounting, Mall Management, Store Management, Human Resources, Distribution, Loss Prevention, Government Relations, Public Relations, Visual Merchandising, Etc.
· The program will be piloted in the greater Hartford area.
· If your department, or one in your company, could benefit from hosting an intern twice per year and can provide a meaningful learning experience, please contact Michele Mesek at 860-527-1044 or
michele@crmaonline.com.
Retail news and notes:
· "Silver bells ... in October?
Every year retailers struggle over when to begin playing holiday music in their stores, and the trend seems to be starting earlier. DMX Music had its holiday mixes ready by mid-September, and stores aim to offer tunes that might encourage more shopping." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (10/29)
· "Sears, Circuit City favorites among multi-channel shoppers
A survey found consumers who visit stores and use Web sites to shop enjoy Circuit City's in-store pickup option and the self-service kiosks at Sears, Roebuck and Co." Internet Retailer (10/28)
· "Internet tax bills work their way through Congress
Bills that would levy sales taxes on online purchases are being considered by lawmakers, and some believe a law could be enacted as early as this spring. A study found that inconsistent sales taxes on online purchases cost states $13.3 billion in 2001 -- a figure the Direct Marketing Association disputes." Chicago Tribune (free registration) (10/29)
· "How to handle product returns
Forrester Research says one out of every 10 products sold will be returned. Entrepreneur recommends retailers take a proactive approach by providing online processing of customer returns. Options to examine include the U.S. Postal Service's Returns@ease, UPS' e-returns service and FedEx Return Manager. For those who prefer to outsource the job, returns management solutions companies, which can generate shipping labels, return authorizations and oversee the physical handling of products for companies." Entrepreneur (10/1)
October 24, 2003
Annual Meeting notice and last minute luncheon registration reminders. Washington update. Retail news and notes.
· One last final notice about our annual meeting and luncheon. Before we begin, though we want to thank all of you who have already registered for the luncheon. We look forward to seeing everyone and expect that it will be a great day.
· Now on with the formal notice and last minute announcements.
· Our annual membership meeting will take place at approximately 10:00am at the conclusion of our Board of Directors meeting in the Horace Bushnell Suite, located right next to the Autorino Great Hall.
· The meeting is open to all members of CRMA. Among the items expected to be acted on at the meeting will be election of officers for CRMA and a review of the 2004 operating budget for the association. If you are interested in attending the annual meeting, please contact our office by calling 860-527-1044 or by emailing us through our website at
www.crmaonline.com.
· At the conclusion of the annual meeting, for those who are attending the luncheon there will be a private tour of the Bushnell. As we mentioned in our special edition of the Friday Facts yesterday, the tour will gather at the Box Office entrance, you may check your coat if you wish and the tour guide will greet you.
· Registration for the luncheon will begin at 11:30 p.m. with lunch beginning at 12:00 noon. After lunch, Dr. Henry Lee will give his keynote address followed by our presentation of the Retailer of the Year, Bob’s Discount Furniture. We expect to conclude our day at approximently 2:00 p.m. in time for folks to return to their stores.
· It is not too late to register for the lunch. You can register online, by visiting our website, www.crmaonline.com or by calling us at 860-527-1044.
Washington update:
· Class action reform bill falls one vote short on Wednesday
· Despite falling one vote short of the 60 needed, supporters of a bill to overhaul Class Action litigation, said the legislation still has a chance of passing in some form this year.
· Guess who is right in the middle of making that happen? – Our own U.S. Senator Dodd.
· Dodd voted against the measure, which was technically just a motion to proceed to a debate (Sen. Lieberman voted for it), but vowed during his remarks to the full Senate to continue to work on the measure.
· Members should thank Sen. Lieberman for his support of the measure. We will continue to work on Sen. Dodd.
· CRMA is sending both a thank you letter to Sen. Lieberman for his support and one to Sen. Dodd urging him to keep working with others to find common ground on this very important issue. If you are interested in contacting Sen. Dodd on this issue please let us know.
· In other news from Washington, this week our friends from the National Retail Federation report that the U.S. Senate is expected to consider the Fair Credit Reporting Act next week. Lawmakers are working to beat a December 31, 2003 deadline for renewal of key provisions of this act that are vital to the retail industry.
· The House has already adopted their version on FCRA legislation, H.R. 2622. NRF reports that while the two bills are similar they still have to go to conference and with members getting anxious to go home for the year by November 7 the need to complete this bill is becoming urgent.
· We will keep you updated on the progress of both of these important issues. If you have any questions about the status of either the class action reform bill or the FCRA renewal, please feel free to contact us.
Retail news and notes:
· Toymakers Target Tweens
Boys in the 8 to 12 age group seem easy to please with video games and action toys, girls in the same age group are a challenge for the toy industry. This holiday season, toymakers and retailers are making a big effort to capture the hearts of girls aged 8 to 12 known in the industry as
"tweens."
· The tween market accounts for a significant 20 percent of total traditional toy sales, which reached $21.3 billion last year, according to NPD Group, a market information company in Port Washington, N.Y. www.ctnow.com
· The National Retail Federation reports the average American will spend $672 on gifts this holiday season, and 75% of them will shop at discount outlets. Ellen Tolley of NRF says retailers are maintaining lean inventories because they don't want to be stuck with leftover stock in January. Los Angeles Daily News (10/22)
· May Department Stores' David's Bridal is the first chain to succeed on a national level in the fragmented wedding industry. There is a sentiment that the dresses are a good value, and its business is expected to increase as Gen Y enters the wedding years. The Wall Street Journal
· In Wednesday's Hartford Courant there is a front page article about a growing coalition of activists coming together to examine the issue of "tax's, schools and sprawl." www.ctnow.com
October 17, 2003
CRMA Annual meeting just two weeks away. CRMA and ADP announce new member service benefit. Internship Pilot Program. Retail News and Notes.
· Welcome to another edition of our Friday Fax. Even if it is a dark Friday for all of our members who are Red Sox and Cub fans. We hate to say it, but there is always next year.
· It is countdown time for our annual meeting and awards ceremony.
· This week we wanted to remind folks, that in addition hearing the great Dr. Henry Lee and recognizing our Retailer of the Year, Bob’s Discount Furniture, attendees of the event have the opportunity to be given a private tour of the newly renovated Bushnell in Hartford, CT.
· If you are interested in joining us on this tour, please plan on being in the Autorino Great Hall Lobby by 11:00 a.m. From there the Bushnell staff will give folks a private, behind the scenes look at the historic and beautiful Bushnell.
· At the conclusion of the tour, registration for the lunch will begin and the event will start at 12:00 noon. Don’t forget these years event will be catered by the Max Restaurant Group.
· If you have not already registered and would like to attend, please do so today! You can register online by visiting our website at www.crmaonline.com and clicking on "Annual Luncheon" or you can call our office at 860-527-1044.
Member Service update:
· We are very pleased to announce today that CRMA and ADP have joined forces to offer members discounts with their payroll and tax filling needs.
· As you know, ADP is the industry leader in payroll processing and has a host of other products and services that members can take advantage off.
(www.adp.com)
· For CRMA members, you will receive at least a 20% discount on all of your ADP payroll products as well as a special introductory offer, 1-month free payroll.
· Look for more information about the new CRMA/ADP program soon. In the meantime, if you are interested in talking to someone about this new program, please feel free to call us in the office at 860-527-1044 or contact Brian
Karavish, District Manager for ADP directly at 860-687-7911. You can also email Brian at
brian_karavish@adp.com
Internship Pilot Program
· CRMA is very enthusiastically diving into a project for our new Charitable and Educational Foundation. Our Internship Program would take college/ university/ One Stop students and pre train them in basic workplace skills and etiquette before placing them in 8-week internships with you.
· These internships will be in “behind the scene” jobs in the retail industry such as Accounting, Human Resources, Loss Prevention, Distribution, Marketing, Advertising, Buying, Government Relations, etc. to showcase the possible career paths in the retail industry.
· We need your help identifying retailers and departments who are interested in becoming a partner with our internship program. This is a great opportunity to share your expertise with a young professional.
· We are hopeful this program will be up and running by February 2004. If your company would like to participate please contact Michele Mesek at
michele@crmonline.com or 860-527-1044.
Retail News and Notes
· Retailers Welcome Sales Tax Simplification Bill
The National Retail Federation welcomed the Senate introduction of sales tax simplification legislation yesterday, saying the measure would bring tax equity among all retailers. Click here to read more.
· Reports give good news on economy
Consumer prices, as reflected by the Consumer Price Index, rose 0.3% last month. The Federal Reserve said industrial output increased 0.4% in September. Further, factory output increased 0.7% and initial unemployment claims dropped for the second consecutive week. USA TODAY (10/16), The Miami Herald/Associated Press (10/16)
· Buckland Unveils Shoppes
Congratulations to CRMA member, The Shoppes at Buckland Hills, formerly the Buckland Hills Mall, who has made some changes to their ambiance including shiny marble tiles, classical music, and mini living rooms on large squares of carpet.
www.ctnow.com 10/16/03
October 10, 2003
CRMA annual meeting reminder. DOL seminar draws interest among members. Legislative special session postponed until November. Retail career profiles project. Retail news and notes.
· It would not be a Friday Fax if we didn’t remind you that our annual meeting is coming up.
· In case you don’t know, this year’s annual meeting and awards ceremony will be held on October 29, 2003 in the Autorino Great Hall at the Bushnell in Hartford, CT.
· The Autorino Great Hall is part of the newly renovated Bushnell and is a beautiful room. The Max Restaurant Group will cater the event.
· For those of you not familiar with the Max Restaurant Group, they are the parent company of some of the finest restaurants in CT., including Max Downtown, Max a Mia, Max Amore, Max’s Oyster Bar, Trumbull Kitchen and Max’s Tavern.
· Also, this year we are proud to announce that Bob’s Discount Furniture is our Retailer of the Year and the world famous Dr. Henry Lee will be our keynote speaker.
· So, we are excited about this year’s meeting – but we need you to attend. You can register on line by visiting our website, www.crmaonline.com or you can call our office at 860-527–1044 for more information.
DOL seminar draws interest
· Last week we informed you that Investigator Donna O’Leary from the US DOL will speak to members about federal laws, minimum wage, overtime, child labor, family medical leave, and other topics concerning the DOL.
· We have received a number of positive responses from members, but need more before we can go ahead and schedule this seminar.
· If you are interested, please notify us as soon as possible. You can reply by emailing us through our website,
www.crmaonline.com, or call our office at 860-527-1044
Legislature postpones special session
· Last week, House Speaker Lyons and Sen. President Sullivan announced that the previously scheduled special session that was set for Oct. would be postponed.
· It appears that both chambers and the Governor’s office simply were not ready and rather than bring members into special session they deiced to wait until November to finish off some work.
· Also, there was some talk that lots of outside interest groups (lobbyist) were trying to get fixes on issues that are unrelated to the budget – which is why they were going into session to begin with.
· So, to slow things down as well as give themselves a bit of a break they simply cancelled the session. But like we said, we expect they will be back in special session sometime in November.
Retail Profile’s Project
· The National Retail Federation Foundation (NRFF) and CRMA have partnered to gather profiles from professionals who began their careers in retail and have moved up the corporate ladder.
· The anonymous profiles will be posted on the NRFF website for youth to search and learn from. This tool was designed by the NRFF to showcase career opportunities that are available in the retail industry.
· The short questionnaire can be e-mailed, mailed or asked in a phone conversation. Once the information is gathered it will be compiled, accepted and returned to you for your approval to post on the site.
· Please contact Michele Mesek at 860-527-1044 or michele@crmaonline.com if you would like to share your career ladder. We are always accepting profiles, and you need not be a CRMA member to participate in this project.
Retail News and Notes
· Michigan bill contributes to Simon's withdrawal of Taubman takeover bid
One day after Michigan passed legislation regulating how shareholders may act in corporate takeover bids, Simon Property Group withdrew its $1.7 billion bid to take over Michigan-based Taubman Centers. The withdrawal ends a yearlong battle between the two companies; Taubman owns 31 shopping malls, many of them upscale, while Simon has an interest in more than 230 malls, including Mall of America. The Detroit News (10/9), San Jose Mercury News/Associated Press (10/9)
· September retail sales highest in 18 months
The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi retail index reported September same-store sales were up 5.9%, largely due to an early cold snap driving up demand for winter gear. Although this may cut into October sales, the National Retail Federation still has raised its holiday sale forecast to a 4.1% gain. Sears, Roebuck and Co. reported a 3.2% increase; and Wal-Mart, Sharper Image and Bebe Stores also reported gains. The Washington Post/Reuters (10/9),
Quicken.com/Dow Jones (10/9)
· The Super Soap Box, a mega-Laundromat in Bridgeport, CT, has turned the art of clothes laundering into a science. With 53 washing machines and 48 dryers occupying 5,000 square feet, it is the largest Laundromat in CT. Read more in Connecticut Magazine’s October 2003 issue (Source: CT magazine, Oct. 2003 p50-1)
· Good News Three Ways, the outlook for the holiday shopping season got a boost
Thursday as retailers reported their third straight month of better-than-expected sales. Tax rebates and cooler weather gave consumers an incentive to spend freely, particularly on apparel.
http://www.ctnow.com/business/
October 3, 2003
New statewide smoking ban goes into effect. Living Wage & Minimum Wage proposals from around the country, Registration for our Annual Luncheon is Online, 13 Quick Questions, US Department of Labor to hold a seminar for CRMA members. Retail News and Notes.
· Effective October 1, 2003 Connecticut bans smoking in workplaces where five or more people work and inside any restaurant that serves alcohol.
· In addition this new public Act, PA 03-45 bans smoking in state and municipal buildings, most health care institutions, and private colleges and university dorms.
· The new act does allow smoking in outdoor areas of restaurants that do not serve alcohol and in outdoor areas of alcohol serving establishments under certain conditions
· For more information about this new law, we suggest you visit the General Assembly’s Office of Legislative Research. You can reach OLR through our website,
www.crmaonline.com. Once there, simply click resources and double click Connecticut General Assembly.
Living Wage and Minimum Wage
· Our friends from the International Retail Merchants Association, www.imra.org inform us that a number of states are now considering enacting a living wage law or are moving to increase the minimum wage.
· Four states (Wisconsin, California, New Mexico, Florida) are considering an increase in minimum wage or implementing a living wage for private businesses.
· In Sacramento, California's new proposal would set a living wage of $9.00/ hr for companies that provide health insurance to their workers and $10.50 for those who don't. San Diego California's City Council Rules Committee will soon hear a proposed ordinance that will require San Diego and its contractors to pay $11.95/ hr
· Florida's minimum wage will raise to $6.15/ hr if the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) manages to collect 490,000 signatures by August 2004.
· Santa Fe, New Mexico's privatized minimum wage ordinance will go into effect January 1, 2004. New Mexicans for Free Enterprise
(NMFE) continue to raise funds for their lawsuit against the city for its enactment of this ordinance.
· Madison, Wisconsin's Fair Wage Campaign is hoping to increase the city's minimum wage to $7.75/ hr. The states current minimum wage is $5.15.
Annual Luncheon
· Registration for our annual luncheon can be printed off our website at
www.crmaonline.com. Print the form and fax it to 860-493-7476 or give us a call at 860-527-1044 with your information
· Don't miss out on this opportunity to hear Dr. Henry Lee speak, Honor Bob's Discount Furniture as Retailer of the Year, and have a wonderful lunch by the Max group at the Bushnell in Hartford.
13 Quick Questions compliments of
IMRA, www.imra.org
· Rather than give you our typical 3 quick questions, this week we want to share with you some information on the California recall election, again courtesy of our friends from
IMRA.
· With the recall election just a week away, here is a brief Q & A on how the process will work and the important dates for action after the vote on 10/07.
Q. If Gray Davis is recalled, when does he leave office?
A. Once the election is held, it could take up to 39 days (Nov. 15) for the vote to be declared official. Counties have 28 days to complete their canvass of the vote and seven more days to report that figure to the secretary of state. The secretary of state then has four days to accept those figures and declare the election official. Once the vote is official, Davis is out as soon as a new governor is sworn in.
Q. How will the new Governor establish a Cabinet?
A. The new Governor will either ask for the immediate resignation of all currently appointed officials, or at least move to replace the entire Cabinet at one time, plus a number of the key Departments (e.g., Department of Finance, Resources Agency, and Health & Human Services).
Q. What happens if Gray Davis resigns?
A. Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante would take over as governor and serve until the recall election.
Q. Can Bustamante then run as a candidate, even if he takes over after Davis resigns?
A. Yes, initially there were no declared replacement candidates from the Democratic Party. In an effort to present a united front in support of Gray Davis, Democratic Party leaders agreed not to put a Democrat on the ballot. Then on August 7, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante entered the race in order to provide a prominent Democratic alternative in case the vote favored the recall.
Q. How long would a new governor serve?
A. The new replacement will finish out Davis' term, which runs thru inauguration day January 2007.
Q. Can Davis run on the recall ballot as a replacement candidate, too?
A. No. Davis cannot run in the replacement election.
Q. What happens if Davis gets more votes than any of the candidates looking to replace him?
A. The key vote here is not pure numbers. If a majority of voters choose to oust him, Davis is out. It does not matter how many votes he gets.
Q. What if a replacement candidate gets more votes than Davis, but Davis still beats the recall?
A. Davis would stay in office.
Q. If voters choose to keep Davis and he beats the recall, will the votes in the replacement election be counted and made public?
A. Yes, the ballots in the replacement vote will be counted and made public just like those in any election. If Davis beats the recall, however, these other votes are irrelevant.
Q. If I vote to keep Davis as governor, can I still vote in the replacement election?
A. Yes. Everyone who votes in the recall side of the two-part ballot can vote for a candidate to replace Davis, regardless of whether they supported the recall.
Q. If I don't vote in the recall half of the ballot, can I still vote on a replacement?
A. No. It doesn't work the other way. If someone doesn't vote on whether to recall Davis, their vote for a replacement candidate won't be counted. That rule is being challenged in court, however.
Q. If Davis survives a recall, when could another recall effort be started?
A. If Davis beats the recall; it will be at least six-months before any new recall attempt could start.
Q. Have any other Governor's been recalled in California?
A. Recalls have often been attempted in California against statewide elected officials and legislators. All governors in the last 30 years have faced some level of recall attempt. In 2003, Governor Gray Davis became the first statewide official to face a recall election. Recall efforts against state legislators have reached the voting stage, and four were actually recalled. There have been many successful recall attempts at the local government level in California.
US Department of Labor to hold an informational seminar in Hartford for CRMA members.
· Investigator Donna O'Leary from the US DOL will speak to members about federal laws, minimum wage, overtime, child labor, family medical leave, and any other topic concerning the DOL
· The date and time will be determined once we know how many members are interested in attending this seminar, it will most likely be held in October or November. This event will be free of cost to you.
· Please email or call CRMA if you are interested in attending,
crma@crmaonline.com or 860-527-1044.
Retail News and Notes
· "Half of American adults plan to shop online this holiday, up 15 percent from a year ago — the biggest leap for any channel. On average, people are budgeting $710 for seasonal spending, up 9 percent from 2002. And apparel again is likely to win dollars from the most holiday wallets, but see a stiffer challenge from electronics."
www.wwd.com
· "On October 9, 2003 the Bureau of engraving and Printing and the Federal Reserve System will begin issuing the newly redesigned $20 note. The notes will be safer, smarter and more secure." To learn more visit
www.moneyfactory.com/newmoney
· CRMA member Mitchells of Westport completes a nine-month renovation. Complete details can be found at
www.wwd.com
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