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Friday Facts
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January 22, 2010

Loss Prevention Professionals to Hold Meeting Next Week
Appliance Rebate Program
Election 2010 Update
CRMA Legislative Committee Meeting Notice
Member Services
Retail News and Notes



• On Wednesday January 27, 2010, CRMA and Westfield Meriden Mall will be Co-hosting the first in a series of Loss Prevention Regional meetings we plan on holding in 2010.

• The meeting will begin at 9:00 with coffee and registration. The roundtable discuss will begin at 10:00 with a welcome from the Meriden Police Chief.

• The meeting will take place at the Upper Level – JC Penney Wing (Across from The Limited) of the mall.

• Registration is filling up so if you have not yet had the chance to register for this event, please call or email Cathy in our office at 860-527-1044 or cathy@crmaonline.com.

Appliance Rebate Program

• Many of our members participated in a webinar this week to review CT’s new Appliance Rebate Program.

• The rebate program will begin on Monday January 25th and run until April, when it is anticipated that there may be another phase to the program.

• By now members should be familiar with the details of the program, but if you are not, please call our office today and we will forward you the information.

• Also, there will be another webinar on Tuesday Jan. 26th at 10:00 to review the program again. So, if you would like to participate in that webinar, please call or email us today for information about how to log on.

Election 2010 Update

• As if CT needed another jolt to its election year politics, the election of Massachusetts State Senator Scott Brown as the new United States Senator in that state, sent a very strong message to office seekers here in CT.

• In addition to giving strong hopes to those who are running AGAINST Attorney General Richard Blumenthal for the US Senate seat that they still have a chance despite bad poll numbers, they also instilled a sense of hope in the whole Republican Party in CT.

• The GOP is now filled with a renewed sense of purpose as they approach this legislative session and the upcoming November election.

• And, in case you did not know this, Scott Brown has a brother who lives in CT and is now being courted by House Minority Leader Larry Cafero to run for the Legislature here in CT.

• Meanwhile, another week another candidate for state wide office.

• This week House Finance Committee Chair, Rep. Cameron Staples, (D-New Haven) announced his running for the now open seat for Attorney General.

• Staples will have to go up against Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz who dropped out of the running for Governor to run for the AG spot and former State Senator George Jepson.

• Also, Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell announced last week that he is seeking the Republican Nomination for the office of Secretary of State.

CRMA Legislative Committee Meeting Notice

• On Tuesday of this week, the CRMA Legislative Committee will hold its first meeting of the year to talk about the upcoming session and some of the politics that we can expect.

• The meeting, which is open to all members, will be held on Wednesday, January 27th, at 3:00 p.m. EST.

• We will send a reminder notice to all members of the Legislative Committee on Monday, but if you are not a member of the Legislative Committee and would like to participate in this weeks call, please call our office today for the call in number.

Member Services

• We are pleased to inform you today that CRMA has a new Energy Supply Program that we are confident will save money on your utility bill.

• CRMA and Public Power of Danbury CT, (www.publicpowerllc.com) have teamed up to offer a great way for members to save money on their energy bills.

• We will make a more formal announcement in next weeks FF, but if you are interested in signing up today for that new program we are open for business and would love to make you the first member to sign up!

• If you are currently purchasing your power with either CL&P or UI we know that we can reduce your cost. We promise you that. Just call us and we can show you how.

Retail News and Notes

Bloomingdale's takes aim at outlet shoppers
Macy's, in its first foray into the outlet mall, will open four Bloomingdale's outlet stores this year to sell a mix of clearance merchandise and original products. The company said it is also exploring the idea of opening Macy's outlets. As fashion-focused shoppers have become more budget-conscious, high-end retailers see outlet stores as a key to increasing sales. Recently, Saks revealed its strategy to outfit its outlets with original, lower-priced products. The Miami Herald (1/21) , The Wall Street Journal (1/21) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story

 Target aims for renovation rather than growth
Target says it is scaling back plans for store openings and will instead spend $1 billion this year on store renovations that will add bigger grocery sections with perishable foods. The company says it plans to open fewer than 10 stores this year and that it is developing a smaller format for urban markets. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.)/The Associated Press (1/21) , The Wall Street Journal (1/22) , MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (1/21) , CNNMoney.com/Dow Jones Newswires (1/21) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story

 Favre comes out of retirement for funny Sears spots
In a continuation of a one-off commercial NFL quarterback Brett Favre did for Sears last year, the retail chain is launching a series of ads featuring the longtime player. This year's spots, which aim for the funny bone, are slated to air during this weekend's playoff games. Sears is counting on the ads to boost sales of TV packages. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (1/21)

 

January 15, 2010


Political Musical Chairs Continues
Number of Candidates for Governor Now at 12
OPM to Host Webinar on Appliance Rebate Program
CRMA to Co-Host Loss Prevention Roundtable
Retail News and Notes

• The Connecticut political version of musical chairs continued this week.

• Yesterday, CT Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz formally announced that she would abandon her bid to gain the Democratic nomination for Governor and instead run for the now vacant seat for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General.

• Bysiewicz is running for the AG spot because the current holder of that seat, Richard Blumenthal is running for the US Senate seat that is being vacated by Chris Dodd.

• But, as soon as Bysiewicz announced she was running she got hit by other Democrats who want that seat who are making claims that she is not qualified for that seat.

• You can check out that story and more by going to the Hartford Courant’s political blog, http://blogs.courant.com/capitol.watch.

Number of Candidates for Governor Now at 12

• While State Sen. John McKinney (R- Fairfield) announced this week that he would NOT seek the Republican nomination for Attorney General, making it now two statewide offices he will not seek, another person decided they wanted to get back in the game.

• Former congressman and University of New Haven President Lawrence DeNardis held a presser this week to tell the state that he was running for the Republican nomination for Governor.

• DeNardis’s entry into the race for Governor brings the total number of folks who have either officially announced they are in or have strong “exploratory” committees to 12.

• Here is a rundown by Party.

• For the D’s, who have 7 interested candidates, they are: Former House Speaker Jim Amann, (D- Milford) State Senator Gary LeBeau (D- East Hartford) former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, Greenwich millionaire and former Democratic candidate for US Senate Ned Lamont, Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman, former Hartford State Rep., Juan Figueroa (who may end up with an independent run but for now we will put him with the D’s) and Ridgefield First Selectman, Rudy Marconi

• For the Republican’s, who have 5 interested candidates the list looks like this:

• Lt. Governor Mike Fedele, former ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley, DeNardis, Metro Hartford Chamber Executive Nelson “Oz” Griebel and Chester First Selectman, Tom Marsh.

• Twelve and counting. We will keep you updated on CT political musical chairs in next week’s FF.

OPM to Host Webinar on Appliance Rebate Program

• CRMA has learned that the Office of Policy and Management will be hosting a webinar on a new Appliance Rebate Program that the State of CT will participate in on Jan 20, 2009 at 10:00 am.

• The state expects to receive $3.4 million for the State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program when their application is approved by the Department of Energy.

• The webinar is designed to give retailers participating in the program detailed information about the program and answer any questions.

• If you are interested in participating in this webinar please call our office today for more information at 860-527-1044.

CRMA to Co-Host Loss Prevention Roundtable

• On Wednesday, January 27, 2010, at the Westfield Meriden Mall CRMA will be Co-Hosting an event to discuss Loss Prevention issues in CT.

• It will take place from 9:00 – 11:30 am on the upper level of the Westfield Meriden Mall in the JC Penney Wing (across from the Limited)

• The event is open to all members and is free of charge. For more information or to RSVP please call Cathy Peruccio in our office @860-527-1044 or via email @ cathy@crmaonline.com.

Retail News and Notes

U.S. retail chains among those aiding earthquake relief.  The nonprofit arms of Publix Super Markets and Wal-Mart are among a slew of U.S. companies and foundations pledging aid to earthquake-torn Haiti this week. The Wal-Mart Foundation has pledged $500,000 in cash and is sending $100,000 worth of food, and Publix Super Markets Charities is donating $100,000. San Jose Mercury News (Calif.)/The Associated Press (1/13) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story

Zale makes changes at the top focuses on diamonds, three top Zale Corp. executives left the company this week, including CEO Neal Goldberg. The departures come as the company repositions to focus on its core diamond business after several losing quarters. "Our board is determined to do all in its power to put in place effective leadership to help return the company to profitability," said Zale Chairman John B. Lowe. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (1/13) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story

Holiday season ends on high note as sales rise 1.1%
Stronger-than-expected December sales resulted in a total holiday sales increase of 1.1%, NRF reported this morning. Though the increase remained much lower than the 10-year average, sales were higher than NRF had been forecasting. Apparel and sporting-goods stores performed well, providing hope that the industry is beginning to recover. Read the news release. LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story


January 8, 2010

Election Year Scramble Keeps Adding Candidates
Start of the Legislative Session Looming with Rough Waters Ahead
CRMA Legislative Committee Update
Retail News and Notes

• Ok, we are now about 48 hours from the news that Senator Chris Dodd will not seek reelection for his 5th term this fall and it is getting hard to keep track of who is seeking what job.

• As we mentioned in yesterday’s special FF within hours of Dodd’s announcement Connecticut’s current Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced his intention to seek the Democratic nomination for the US Senate and with that, became the instant favorite.

• Despite the Dodd announcement none of the current Republican candidates for that seat changed their minds, which is not unexpected, but they found that they will have to shift gears because who they thought they were taking on is not there anymore.

• Meanwhile, with Blumenthal’s announcement some of the Democrats that were interested in running for Governor are now taking a look at the AG seat.

• Today, Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz, who was an unofficial candidate for Governor, openly stated that she has friends that are encouraging her to take a look at the AG spot and that she is going to do just that.

• One of her rivals for the Democratic nomination for Governor former Stamford Mayor, Dan Malloy indicated that he has no plans to look at the AG spot and that it is full speed ahead for Governor.

• In addition, one more Democrat threw his hat into the ring for Governor yesterday.

• Former State Rep. Juan Figueroa announced that he too is interested in the top spot.

• That makes the total number of folks interested in the seat that is being vacated by incumbent Governor M. Jodi Rell to 8 – as of today. Who knows it could increase by next week’s FF.

• And, by next week we may have even more candidates for the open AG seat as well.

• The news, first of Governor Rell then of Sen. Dodd announcing they will no longer hold their seats, has created a wild set of circumstances and we will try our best to keep you up-to-date on who is interested in what seats and how the candidates are doing.

Start of the Legislative Session Looming with Rough Waters Ahead

• We can’t forget that, behind all these announcements about who is running against whom and for what seat, is the prospect that the CT General Assembly will begin the next formal session about a month from now.

• We also can’t forget that ALL members of that body are up for re-election in 2010 as well.

• The State’s current fiscal problems have not improved despite a pretty good Christmas season and a corresponding increase in the sales tax collection.

• The General Assembly’s Democratic membership cannot agree with Governor Rell on any deficit mitigation plan with the latest attempt at comprise ending with the Governor’s veto of the Democrats budget plan.

• Our sense is that there really is no next move on the part of the General Assembly and they simply will wait until the start of the next session to deal with the budget.

• In their mind, they passed a two year budget and if they have to they will make “adjustments” during the regular session. Even if things are getting worse not better.

CRMA Legislative Committee Update

• Our Legislative Committee will be holding an organizational meeting, including reviewing issues and setting a schedule for next year, soon.

• We are looking at some dates at the end of January for our first call and will notify members as soon as we have firmed up a date and time.

• We encourage all of our members to participate in our bi-weekly conference calls.

Retail News and Notes

Macy's cuts number of store closures from '09
Macy's plans to close five underperforming stores this month, down from the 11 locations it shuttered this time last year. The department store chain also said it plans to continue opening new stores in 2010, adding to its post-closure store count of 809 Macy's and 40 Bloomingdale's. The Cincinnati Enquirer/Bloomberg (1/6) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story

Retailers get creative to keep customers in challenging times, many retail chains increasingly have become innovative in the ways they reach out to customers, from free yoga classes at Lululemon to launching a line of more affordable Coach Bags. STORES Editor Susan Reda shares some of the best and encourages others to adapt the good ideas to their own companies. STORES magazine (1/2010) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story

Retailers optimistic after December sales rise some retailers saw sales rise in December, according to new figures from MasterCard Advisors' Spending Pulse, ending the season on an uptick and providing merchants with cause for cautious optimism. Sales of jewelry and consumer electronics grew over the same month last year, while apparel sales fell slightly. Reuters (1/6) , ABC News/The Associated Press (1/6) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story

 

Special Friday Facts

Dodd Out/Blumenthal In
US Senate Race Now a Whole New Ball Game
One Move Has Ripple Affect
Should Be a Fun Ride

• In somewhat stunning news yesterday, Connecticut’s senior US Senator, Christopher Dodd announced that he would not seek reelection to a 5th term in the fall.

• Dodd’s announcement was followed up with an announcement by CT Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal that he will throw his hat in the ring to replace Dodd.

• His announcement that he will end a thirty year career in the US Senate comes at a time when his poll numbers and popularity in the state are at an all time low.

• As much as the Dodd supporters felt he would have come thru this very difficult time with a victory in November, Dodd himself felt it was time to leave the stage.

US Senate Race Now a Whole New Ball Game

• Within minutes of Dodd’s announcement, CT Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal held a press conference to announce that he would be running for the open seat this fall.

• Blumenthal’s entry is no surprise. He has coveted this seat for as long as he has been in public life and he comes to the race with a long track record as Attorney General.

• In addition, Blumenthal instantly becomes the front runner. In any number of polls that have included him as a candidate for either the US Senate or Governor, he consistently polls higher than any of the current candidates.

• But, Blumenthal also comes with a track record that is not all that friendly to business with an activist agenda that is pro consumer first.

• Blumenthal will face the winner of a three way Republican primary, assuming of course that he deposes of his primary opponent, in a race that was once leaning Republican but is now leaning Democrat.

One Move Has Ripple Affect

• With Blumenthal now in as a candidate for US Senate, he will vacate his spot as the State’s top lawyer which will set off a wild scramble for that seat among D’s and R’s.

• First the Democrats. There was instant speculation that possibly two of the current candidates for Governor will take a look at the AG seat.

• Secretary of the State, Susan Bysiewicz and former Stamford Mayor, Dan Malloy, are lawyers and have both been mentioned as candidates for the AG seat. If those two do in fact shift from candidates for Governor to Candidates for AG than it may open the way for former Speaker of the House, Jim Amman to become the front runner for the Democratic nomination for Governor.

• But, there are others besides Bysiewicz and Malloy that might be interested in the AG, including former State Party Chair and State Senator George Jepson who canceled a trip to Jamaica yesterday to stay home for the Dodd announcement.

• Within the next week the list of possible candidates for the Democratic nod for AG will no doubt grow, as for the first time in well over 15 years there is movement at the top of the ticket for D’s and there are a long list of folks ready to get back in the game.

• On the Republican side, the Dodd/Blumenthal announcement will certainly impact the field of candidates too.

• There is speculation that some current members of the General Assembly including Senate Minority Leader, John McKinney might enter the race.

• It appears the three candidates for Governor and US Senate will remain but there will no doubt be some shuffling before the state party convention this summer.

Should Be a Fun Ride

• With one move by one politician, for the first time in a long time, we are going to be wall to wall politics in CT this year.

• It should be lots of fun for those of us who follow this stuff and we promise we will keep you up-to-date as best we can thru our weekly FF or with special FF like this one.

• So, fasten your seatbelt and get ready for a political ride from now thru the fall!

 

   
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