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 Friday
Facts - Archives -
Month of July 2007Current
Week
July 27, 2007
CRMA to Co-Host ORC Conference
Retailer of the Year Nomination Still Open - but Deadline
Looming
Health Care Update
Retail News and Notes
• CRMA is co-hosting along with the Massachusetts and New
Hampshire Retailers Associations, a New England Organized
Retail Crime Symposium.
• The event will be held September 13, 2007 at the DCU Center
in Worcester, MA and we encourage all members to attend.
• Invitations for the event will be sent to members this week.
• As you know, Organized Retail Crime is a growing problem for
Retailers and we felt as a region it makes sense to pool our
resources and contacts to put an event on that will help all
of our members combat this problem.
• Please call our office today for more information.
Retailer of the Year Nomination Still
Open - but Deadline Looming
• Also, we are nearing the deadline for nominations for this
year’s Retailer of the Year.
• Next week a reminder notice will be sent to all members, but
in the meantime if you have a retailer in mind, please call
our office today for more information about how you can place
that retailer’s name in nomination.
• This week, we received another nomination for this year’s
Retailer of the Year, so don’t hesitate and get your
nomination in today.
Health Care Update
• With things quite at the State Capitol for the time being it
is a good time to get caught up on some reading on issues that
will impact your business.
• Last week we told you about an OLR report on Mattress
Flammability and this week we found another interesting report
by OLR that impacts members.
• OLR has a report, somewhat dated, but still helpful on ERISA
Preemption.
• If you are interested go to
www.cga.ct.gov/olr
• Once there follow the prompts under Hot Topics and Universal
Health Care.
• Remember, lots of legislators rely on OLR for background
information on issues.
Retail New and Notes
•
Circuit City explores partnership options
Circuit City is seeking to offer customers a multiplatform
purchasing experience by developing partnerships with
companies such as Comcast and Ethan Allen, CEO Phil Schoonover
said. The company's goal is to market HDTV and other
entertainment sources alongside the necessary hardware, and to
provide assistance and installation through firedog, its
service unit.
Multichannel News
(7/25)
•
Aeropostale earns points for back-to-school changes
Analysts have reacted positively to improvements in teen
fashion retailer Aeropostale's back-to-school offerings. "I
think the product for back-to-school is stronger than last
year's assortment," said Ann Poole of Nollenberger Capital
Partners. "They have more wear-now merchandise like shorts and
lightweight knits that capitalize on the weather. And kids can
get instant gratification."
CNNMoney.com/Investor's Business Daily
(7/25)
•
CompUSA runs back-to-school instant-win sweepstakes
CompUSA is promoting its back-to-school products through an
instant-win sweepstakes promotion. Participants clip game
pieces from Sunday newspapers or online ads and take them to
stores to be scanned. The grand prize is $10,000, with
runners-up winning an HP notebook computer and CompUSA gift
cards.
Promo Magazine (7/26)
July 20, 2007
Retailer of the Year Nominations Deadline Fast Approaching
SB 1089 Signed by Governor
News and Notes from the State Capitol
Member Services Update
Retail News and Notes
• By now you should have received your nomination form for
this year’s Retailer of the Year.
• If you have not submitted your nomination for this year
there is still time.
• Today, in fact right now, call or email
Cathy or
860-527-1044 and we will email you a nomination ballot right
away.
• We are finalizing plans for this year’s event and will have
those out to members as soon as possible.
• In the meantime, think of some of your favorite places to
shop and send us the name of that store.
SB 1089 Signed by Governor
• Despite our best efforts, Governor Rell has signed into law
SB 1089/Public Act No. 07-243, “ACC The Release, Sale and
Accuracy of Conviction Information, the Issuance of a Rearrest
Warrant or Capias for Failure to Appear, The Duties of Boards
of Directors and Executive Boards of Condominiums and Other
Common Interest Communities, and the Definition of Community
Association Manager”. We were hoping that the Governor would
be persuaded by our arguments that this law would place an
unrealistic burden on the part of our members and the Judicial
Department.
• We will obliviously keep a close eye on this issue for the
next session.
• In the meantime, if we see any opportunity to correct this
bill we will jump on it.
News and Notes for the State Capitol
• The General Assembly is expected back into session on Monday
for consideration of bills that have been vetoed by the
Governor.
• We don’t expect there will be any overrides on these bills
partly because of what Speaker Jim Amann said about the veto
session:
• “I expect to drive up to Hartford to gavel the veto session
to order and then gavel the session closed”
• The Legislature’s Office of Legislative Research has a
research report on Mattress Flammability that may be of
interest to some members. To view this report go to
www.cga.gov/olr/
• No word yet on appointment to the various studies/task
forces that are due to take place this summer/fall. We are
still hoping to get an appointment to the Streamlined Sales
Tax study.
• Finally, CT’s Senior Senator Christopher Dodd is running for
President of the United States, if you haven’t noticed and the
Hartford Courant ran a good story yesterday on Senator Dodd’s
run.
• Entitled “Chris Dodd’s Joy Ride” it looks at the Senators
run thru Iowa on his journey to the White House.
• Take a look at if you have a chance, visit
www.courant.com/news,
once there go to the Politics section and click on the story.
Member Services Update
• The CRMA self insured workers compensation group continues
its steady pace to creation.
• A couple of weeks ago we met with the Department of
Insurance to review the current status of our proposed group
and to get further direction.
• After meeting with the DOI we have a new set of challenges
before us so we have to go back to members for more
information.
• Because we would be one of the first groups to create a SIG
the Department is acting cautiously.
• We understand and will remain persistent. We hope that all
members hang in there with us. We are confident that when this
program gets off the ground it will be of great benefit to our
members.
• If you are interested in gaining more information and would
like to participate in our SIG effort, call Frank Michaud of
ABI today.
• You can reach Frank at 1-800-211-4217 ext 226. Or you can
simply call our office at 860-527-1044.
• Also, don’t forget about our bank card program with Global
Payments.
• As you get your monthly statements be sure to review them
closely and look for any hidden fees or increases in rates.
And remember we have no hidden fees in our program and our
rates are as competitive as any!
• Call Cathy in our office today for a free quote at
860-527-1044.
Retail News and Notes
•
Sources: KKR in the hunt to buy Macy's
Private equity powerhouse Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, which will
soon launch its initial public offering, might be looking to
acquire Macy's. Sources say that KKR has partnered with
Goldman Sachs on an offer for the retailer valued at about $24
billion, but none of the players involved commented on the
reports.
Women's Wear Daily
(subscription required) (7/18)
•
More back-to-school shopping goes online
This year, almost 41% more parents than ever before will turn
to the Internet to buy school supplies, computers, clothing
and shoes, or 21.4% of families with school-aged children, an
NRF survey on the back-to-school shopping season revealed.
Nearly one-third of young parents ages 18 to 34 reported that
they will most likely shop on the Web, the survey found.
MarketWatch
(7/17)
•
Summer brings sales stumble as June sales dip; retailers look
ahead to back-to-school season
Retailers posted modest sales gains in June, leaving many
hopeful that the upcoming back-to-school season will bring
consumers back into the stores. According to NRF, retail
industry sales for June (which exclude automobiles, gas
stations and restaurants) rose 3.4% unadjusted over last year
and decreased 0.5% seasonally adjusted from May.
Read more here.
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