Retail Sales Boosted by Weather, Easter Shift; Gap, TJX Surprise

Retail union fears for Easter break TVNZ The union representing retail workers says guaranteed days off next Easter are in doubt with a bill to open up Easter trading still on the political agenda. The Finance, Industrial, Retail, Stores & Transport Union (FIRST Union) says retail workers ... See all stories on this topic »

Solving equations for retail success Sydney Morning Herald Nil was one of the first female shopping centre managers in the country and taught me all about looking after tenants and the nuances of retail.'' And listen he did, as he is now seen as a mentor to many others in the retail world. See all stories on this topic » Sydney Morning Herald

US retailers look at Canada, see it short of space Vancouver Sun N into Canada, announced last year, raises the question, why haven't more big US chains made the seemingly easy move north into a market where established retailers are doing well. One of the biggest obstacles holding them back is a dearth of suitable ... See all stories on this topic »

350Green Announces First Public Retail Fast Charging Station in State of ... MarketWatch (press release) PALO ALTO, CA, Apr 05, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- 350Green, a developer of electric vehicle (EV) charging station networks, announced today the first public retail fast charging station in the State of California. The fast charger is located at ... See all stories on this topic »

Retail Roundup | Another Dollar General in the works for Myrtle Beach area MyrtleBeachOnline.com By Dawn Bryant - dbryant@thesunnews.com Another Dollar General is under construction in the Myrtle Beach area and plans to open early this summer. Work is underway on the 10640-square-foot store at 2069 SC 544 near Myrtle Ridge Drive. See all stories on this topic »

AP: 3rd company to yank gift cards from NJ San Francisco Chronicle California-based Blackhawk supplies 175 gift card brands to 1300 New Jersey retailers, primarily groceries. Atlanta-based InComm supplies 2500 retail locations with gift cards for such brands as Visa, MasterCard, iTunes, Macy's and Subway. See all stories on this topic »

Major chain stores post a healthy 4.3% sales gain in March Los Angeles Times "We are seeing more consistent performance of US jobs and more stabilization of wages," said Laura Gurski, global head of the retail practice at consulting firm AT Kearney. "The average American consumer right now feels better about where they are and ... See all stories on this topic » Los Angeles Times

Spitballing the retail mix at Lansdowne Ottawa Citizen (blog) The city and its retail analysts — and the Glebe BIA, according to the latest report — all more or less agree that you can't build a whole retail environment out of unique stores, ones that exist nowhere else in the world. You can have several of ... See all stories on this topic »

Steven B. Greenberg Says Outlet Centers Are "Crown Prince" of Retail in the US MarketWatch (press release) HEWLETT, NY, Apr 05, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Steven B. Greenberg, president of The Greenberg Group, sees outlet centers as clearly the best performing segment of the retail business. Speaking as a featured panelist at Telsey Advisory Group's Annual ... See all stories on this topic »

Retail Sales Boosted by Weather, Easter Shift; Gap, TJX Surprise Barron's (blog) By Avi Salzman Retail stores posted strong same-store sales in March, as warm weather helped spur spring clothing sales and an earlier Easter gave consumers another reason to shop. Excluding pharmacies, companies that reported their results said sales ... See all stories on this topic »

Retail Properties of America IPO opens up 9.8% MarketWatch By Mia Lamar Retail Properties of America Inc. (NYSE:RPAI) opened higher on its first day of trading Thursday after pricing below its expected price talk. The shopping center operator's stock opened at $8.78 on the New York Stock Exchange, ... See all stories on this topic »

Retailers creating a Boxing Day buzz at Easter time Herald Sun Retailers still struggling depsite strong economy Push to turn Easter into bargain hunters splurge Hopes holidaymakers will relax and spend cash DESPERATE retailers are resorting to Boxing Day-style tactics - offering huge short-term discounts - to ... See all stories on this topic »

Payless Takes Top Spot in Shoes for First Time Since 2009, According to March ... San Francisco Chronicle (press release) A recent analysis of the March Retail Ratings Reports from BIGinsight™ shows that Payless has surpassed Walmart as the store shopped most often for shoes. Other shoe retailers are also gaining share while the Big Discounter is losing shoe shoppers. See all stories on this topic »

Small retail store to open by car wash InMaricopa.com "I've always liked retail and by buying bulk have been able to buy things really cheap and pass on savings to everybody else," she said. "I like it when people can get a bargain. I have no idea how I do it. The deals find me." She will sell the popular ... See all stories on this topic » InMaricopa.com

Sizing up DJs' online solution Business Spectator While the traditional retail sector continues to struggle, online retail sales are setting a blistering pace – growing at more than ten times the speed of the traditional bricks-and-mortar stores. According to the National Australia Bank's inaugural ... See all stories on this topic »