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 Friday
Facts - Archives -
Month
of September 2005
Current
Week
September 30, 2005
CRMA/PAC Fundraiser Set For Oct 6th
Annual Meeting Update
North Cove Outfitters: 2005 Retailer Of The Year
Member Services Update
Retail News & Notes
• On Thursday Oct 6th, the CRMA/PAC is hosting a breakfast
fundraiser to raise money for our Political Action Committee.
• The cost of the event is $20 per ticket.
• In addition, to commemorate this event we will be producing
an ad book. The cost of an ad is $250 for a full page, and
$125 for a half page ad.
• Only personal or PAC checks can be used for the purchase of
tickets, while corporate checks can be used for the purchase
of an ad.
• All checks should be made payable to CRMA/PAC.
• Please give every consideration to purchasing an ad or
buying tickets to this important event.
• We need your support for this event. The CRMA/PAC is a very
important component of what we do for retailers at the State
Capitol. It is necessary that we raise as much funds for our
PAC as possible.
Annual Meeting Update:
• Don’t forget that our annual meeting will soon be upon us.
If you have not registered for this year’s luncheon, please do
so today.
• If you cannot attend this year’s event, please consider
purchasing an ad in the program book.
• For more details on our Annual Meeting and Luncheon, please
contact Michele Mesek in our office today. Michele can be
reached at 860-527-1044 or
michele@crmaonline.com
• This year’s event will be held on Thursday, November 10,
2005 at the new Connecticut Convention Center in downtown
Hartford CT.
• For registration information please visit our website at
www.crmaonline.com
North Cove Outfitters: 2005 Retailer Of
The Year
• The 2005 Retailer of the Year Award will be presented to
North Cove Outfitters of Old Saybrook, CT.
• At 22,000 square feet, North Cove Outfitters, Inc. is one of
the largest independent retail stores in Connecticut. Since
opening in 1988 the store has grown tremendously, mostly
through the efforts of extremely talented buyers and sales
staff.
• North Cove Outfitters' owners Norm Cavallaro and Ed Carney
take tremendous pride in that aspect of the business. Norm
always says that the key to success in retail is not
"location, location, location", but "people, people, people".
• North Cove Outfitters stocks specialty equipment and apparel
for backpacking, climbing, camping, fly fishing, hiking,
paddle sports, optics, and shooting sports, as well as a wide
selection of men’s and women’s sportswear, outerwear and
footwear.
• Additionally, North Cove Outfitters regularly hosts
community events, speakers, and programs which serve to
educate the public about outdoor sports activities and
environmental issues.
• In 1997 North Cove Outfitters was named by Canoe and Kayak
Magazine, as their "Retailer of the Year" for excellence in
the promotion and advancement of the sport of paddling in the
United States.
Member Services Update:
• As always, we encourage our members to try any of the number
of money saving programs we offer.
• From navigating the difficult and confusing waters of health
care with our health care specialist to comprehensive coverage
for your business owners insurance needs or a free review of
your bank card rates, CRMA offers members not only savings to
their bottom line, but professional, honest and thorough
services.
• Many companies will offer retailers savings in these areas,
but they come and go. CRMA is in this for the long haul.
• Call us today and ask us about one of the many ways we can
save money for you.
Retail News & Notes
Treasury reveals new $10 bill
The U.S. government will put 800 million new $10 bills into
circulation next year; the bills feature splashes of red,
yellow and orange to help prevent counterfeiting. The director
of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing said the government
will release new currency designs every seven to 10 years.
.
MSNBC/Associated Press
(9/28),
Progressive Grocer
(9/29)
Retailers face state-imposed
Internet sales taxes
Although retailers maintain they do not have to impose state
and local taxes on shoppers unless they have a physical
presence in the shopper's locality, 18 U.S. states are joining
to implement a computer program -- known as the Streamlined
Sales Tax Project -- which will enable them to collect taxes
on Internet sales. Some retailers are hiding their
participation in the act, but Maureen Riehl of the National
Retail Federation says after Oct. 1 they will have to reveal
their name.
The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (9/30)
Fly away with Neiman Marcus
this holiday season
The ever-luxurious 2005 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book was
unveiled yesterday, featuring a $3.5 million "skycar" and a
$1.5 million private concert with Elton John.
The Dallas Morning News (free registration) (9/27),
Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (9/28)
September 23, 2005
CRMAPAC Fundraiser Set
Annual Meeting and Luncheon Update
Item and Unit Pricing
Member Services Update
Retail News & Notes
• Earlier this week, invitations were sent to all members for
a fundraiser to benefit CRMA’s Political Action Committee,
CRMAPAC.
• The CRMAPAC is hosting the fundraiser on Thursday October
6th. The event is a breakfast and will be held at our offices
at 60 Forest Street Hartford, CT.
• Tickets for the event are $20. Payment for the tickets to
the event must be paid by personal check or a PAC check.
• To commemorate this event, we will be producing an ad book.
Full page ads are $250 and half page are $125. Corporate
checks or PAC checks are allowed for the payment of ads.
• All checks must be made out to CRMAPAC.
• Fundraisers like this one for our PAC are a necessary part
of doing business in Connecticut today.
• Other business groups have strong PAC’s and our friends in
organized labor have a large and influential PACs and they are
not afraid to spend it.
• For Retailers, the CRMA/PAC is our way of combating that,
along with supporting those legislators who are supporters of
retailers.
• Please make every effort to help us with this fundraiser. It
is critical that the CRMA/PAC have the funds to compliment our
hard work at the Capitol.
• Please consider buying an ad or purchasing a ticket. Any
amount is welcomed. We thank you for your consideration and
help!
Annual Meeting and Luncheon Update
• While we are on the subject of an event, we want to remind
members to return their registration to our Annual Meeting and
Luncheon that is being held November 10, 2005.
• This year our meeting will be held at the new Connecticut
Convention Center in Hartford, CT.
• We are very excited about this new venue and are also, very,
very, excited to be honoring 4 outstanding CT Retailers this
year.
• These 4 retailers, North Cove Outfitters, Flanders Fish
Market, Footprints and Roxanne Cody from RJ Julia Booksellers
will be honored that day.
• Again, please take a minute a fill out your registration
sheet and send it in today.
Item and Unit Pricing
• During this past legislative session, CRMA was instrumental
in pushing the Legislature to examine Connecticut’s unit
pricing law.
• We raised the issue with them that Connecticut was one of
only a handful of states that used a different method to
calculate what the unit price of a commodity is.
• The result of our efforts led the Chairs of the General Law
Committee to write to the Commissioner of Consumer Protection
to urge the department to create a task force to study this
issue over the interim and come up with a recommendation in
time for the next legislative session.
• Earlier this week the first meeting of the task force was
held and considerable progress was made.
• CRMA, along with a member company and the Connecticut Food
Association, who make up the business representation of the
task force, was successful in getting the DCP to look at
making changes to the unit pricing regulations.
• The meeting resulted in the Consumer Protection Agency
agreeing to examine Connecticut’s item pricing law as well.
• It was a very productive meeting and we will keep you up to
date on the task force’s progress. The next meeting of the
task force is scheduled for October 19 at 10:00 a.m.
• If you have an interest in discussing the unit and item
pricing law or have specific questions or comments about the
task force, please email CRMA President Tim Phelan at
tim@crmaonline.com
Member Services Update
• This week we are pleased to announce that a new member has
taken advantage of our discounted property casualty insurance
program.
• This program, which is being spearheaded by our endorsed
insurance agency ABI (www.abiagency.net)
and One Beacon Insurance Company, is slowly growing in
popularity.
• We strongly urge our members to contact Casey Cook at ABI
today to get more information about this program.
• Casey will take your information and show you how he can
save you money on your property casualty and business owners
insurance.
• Also, our BankCard program with GlobalPayments continues to
help members save money on their processing fees. If you are
interested in that program, please contact Cathy in our office
at cathy@crmaonline.com
Retail News & Notes
Gap restyles e-commerce
After two weeks offline setting up
its new e-commerce look,
Gap
sites
Gap.com,
BananaRepublic.com and
OldNavy.com have launched to rave reviews. Retail analysts
suggest the Gap sites set the standard for others to follow in
the $12.5 billion-per-year online clothing sales business.
The New York Times (free registration)
(9/12)
Retailers continue to expand,
despite challenges
Some retailers say they are moving ahead with expansion plans,
despite issues such as rising gas prices. Philadelphia-based
Urban Outfitters, which also owns the Anthropologie and Free
People chains, says it has plenty of room for growth, and
Wal-Mart Stores says it is expanding all of its Mexican
concepts, with plans to open 90 new stores south of the border
this year.GlobeSt.com
(9/8)
Computer software lowers
sales tax charges
An article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette earlier this year
uncovered how Pennsylvania retailers were charging sales tax
on item prices before coupon discounts were applied. Shop 'n
Save has beat competitors Giant Eagle and Wal-Mart Stores at
reprogramming its computers to charge consumers the lower,
after-coupon tax.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
(9/9)
September 2, 2005
Annual Meeting Invitations to go in the Mail Next Week
Member Services Update
CRMA office closed on Labor Day
Retail News & Notes
• By this time next week all members should have received
their invitations to the CRMA Annual Meeting and Luncheon.
• This year the event will be held on November 10, 2005 at the
new Connecticut Convention Center in downtown Hartford, CT.
• This year CRMA is proud to honor four outstanding
Connecticut Retailers for the excellence they have
demonstrated in retail.
• These retailers will be honored at our annual luncheon. We
welcome all of our members to join us for lunch, please return
your registration sheets to us ASAP to secure your seats for
this year’s event.
Member Services Update
• As we move toward the end of summer, we strongly encourage
all members to take a look at the menu of products that CRMA
offers its members.
• Specifically, call us for a free review of your bank card
program. Our special relationship with Global Payments can
help all retailers save money both with interchange fees and
with those hidden fees.
• CRMA also has a number of products that can help members
with saving on their insurance needs. From workers
compensation and property casualty insurance to group health
insurance, CRMA insurance specialists will take the time to
review with each member ways that they can save money.
• Please call our office today for more information on any of
these programs. CRMA is here to serve all of our members and
these money saving programs are a great way for you to get an
immediate return on your investment with us.
CRMA Office Closed on Labor Day
• It is hard to believe but summer has ended and Labor Day is
here this weekend.
• CRMA offices will be closed on Monday, Labor Day and will
reopen on Tuesday September 6th.
• Finally, we know we speak for all members of the Retail
community when we send our prayers out to the victims of
Katrina; and to those retailers in Louisiana, Mississippi and
parts of Alabama who were affected, our thoughts and prayers
are with you.
Retail News & Notes
• Retailers to freeze prices on items for cleanup
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many large retailers
announced Tuesday they would freeze prices on goods needed for
recovery, including cleaning products, plywood and
flashlights. Chains that have closed locations, including
Sears Holding and The Home Depot, have placed emergency orders
for supplies that will be most needed when the stores reopen.
USA TODAY
(8/31)
• Readers respond to Dove
an Nike’s “real woman” ads
87% Vote That More Marketers Should Do the Same
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- An AdAge.com opinion poll about Dove
and Nike's "real women" ads found that 87% of respondents want
other marketers to explore the use of advertising images that
depict a variety of normal body shapes and sizes.
http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=45848
August 22, 2005
QwikFIND ID:
AAQ85K, By
Rich Thomaselli
• Fashionable denim can be affordable
Target, Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Gap are offering jeans that
mimic high-end selections worn by Hollywood stars, without the
$1,000-or-more price tag. Denim has become acceptable in most
situations, from work to a night out on the town, according to
a Maire Claire executive.
Chicago Sun-Times
(9/1)
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