April 1st, 2013

MARKETING NEWS Online reviews influence shoppers most, but print catalogs trump social networks ...... 2 Why Gatorade held big play for second quarter -- And print is key to new push ...... 4 LG also works on augmented reality glasses, Smart interactive watch ...... 5 26% of Americans own a laptop, a Smartphone and a tablet ...... 6

PUBLISHING NEWS Hearst Corp. names Swartz to succeed Bennack as Chief Executive ...... 7 Daring magazine ad spending helps Architectural Digest beat industry odds ...... 8 Are tablet editions driving luxury print ad sales? ...... 9 Time.com taps Daily Beast vet as Managing Editor ...... 11

POSTAL NEWS USPS has no power to axe Saturday mail delivery, says GAO ...... 12

RETAIL NEWS New web initiatives and more stores has Cabela's targeting double digit growth ...... 14 Survey names Kohl's, Dollar General, Lowe's among top brands ...... 15 CVS/pharmacy launches new iPad app ...... 15 Family Dollar names merchandise head ...... 16

ECONOMIC UPDATE

GDP: 4th quarter 2012: 0.4 percent. 3rd quarter 2012: 3.1 percent. Unemployment Rate: the unemployment rate edged down to 7.7 percent in February. Consumer Confidence: improved in February, declined in March. The Index now stands at 59.7 (1985=100), down from 68.0 in February.

1

MARKETING NEWS

Online Reviews Influence Shoppers Most, but Print Catalogs Trump Social Networks Lenna Garibian , Marketing Profs . 3/25/2013

Although online channels such as ratings and reviews, search results, and email promotions influence online shoppers' purchases most, traditional paper catalogs also hold sway, according to a survey from Baynote and the e-tailing group. Meanwhile, social networking sites are the least effective channel for influencing shoppers whether they are making purchases in-store or online.

Below, additional findings Baynote's survey of smartphone-owning online shoppers, conducted during the 2012 holiday shopping season.

Among online shoppers surveyed, online ratings and reviews were cited as the most influential source of information when making online (33%) and in-store purchases (24%). Search results via Google were the second most influential source of information for online and in-store purchases (26% and 19%, respectively), followed by email promotions (25% and 19%, respectively).

2

Even so, people still love their paper catalogs: 22% of smartphone owners cited print catalogs as the most influential source of information when making online purchases, and 21% cited paper catalogs for in-store purchases.

By contrast, social media sites exert less influence over purchases.

Across popular social networking sites, Facebook had the most influence whether buying online (15%) or in stores (12%). Pinterest and Twitter were nearly tied for second place.

Meanwhile, roughly 1 in 10 online shoppers cited mobile ads as most influential when making online (10%) and in-store (11%) purchases.

Making the Final Purchase

Ultimately, cost matters most to people: 47% of online shoppers cited price as the ultimate influencer for making a final purchase, while 38% cited free shipping.

However, in the hyper-competitive retail market, factors such as the availability of a product (35%), merchant reputation (33%), product reviews (29%), and return policy (24%) still sway buyers.

Tablets vs. Smartphones

During the 2012 holiday season, consumers favored tablets over smartphones when browsing, shopping, and transacting online:

 65% of tablet owners used their device to browse websites in advance of buying vs. 50% of smartphone owners who did so. 3

 62% of tablet owners used their device to compare prices before a store visit vs. 49% of smartphone owners who did so.  57% of tablet owners used their device to make a purchase on a website vs. 43% of smartphone owners who did so.  51% of tablet owners used their device to get coupons and offers vs. 46% of smartphone owners who did so.

About the data: Findings are based on a survey of 1,000 consumers fielded by the e-tailing group for Baynote, Nov. 24 to Dec. 5, 2012. Respondents had shopped online more than four times in the previous year, spending $250+ annually. All respondents owned a smartphone and 55% owned a tablet.

Why Gatorade Held Big Play for Second Quarter -- And Print Is Key To New Push Natalie Zmuda , Advertising Age . 3/25/2013

Gatorade was noticeably quiet this past January, after years of ringing in the New Year with big, ad campaigns.

Instead, Gatorade will launch creative this month, closer to its busy spring and summer seasons and in the midst of March Madness. The brand is also shifting how it approaches marketing for the G Series line and recommitting to athletic camps and locker room and sidelines programs.

The changes come amid new leadership -- Brett O'Brien replaced Sarah Robb O'Hagan last year as Gatorade's president. (A Gatorade spokeswoman said the marketing changes are unrelated to the exec moves.)

Two campaigns launch this month. "Lightning Bolt" focuses on the brand's history, while "Fixation" features Dwyane Wade and Kevin Durant. "Fixation," which breaks March 27, shows the two players training furiously after dreaming they were one-upped by the competition.

Morgan Flatley, VP-brand management at Gatorade, said delaying new creative until closer to the brand's peak season was a strategic decision. She also said there will be a new approach to marketing the 3-year-old G Series line.

In years past, Prime, Perform and Recover have all been prominently featured in TV advertising, the goal being to boost awareness for G Series. But in the coming year, Perform beverages will be the focus of TV ads, while Prime chews and pouches, as well as Recover beverages and shakes, will be hyped in print ads. Those products are newer -- and not the traditional sports drink for which the brand is famous -- and print lets Gatorade better explain the products and why athletes should be fueling before and after activities, not just during. "We are investing more in print than we have at least the last two years. It's really about using print to articulate the product benefits," Ms. Flatley said.

Ms. Flatley said the overall media weight and marketing spend will be in line with a year ago. Gatorade spent $101 million on measured media in 2012, according to Kantar Media.

4

The brand is also increasing its investment in grassroots and various locker room and sidelines programs, boosting its presence at summer camps and year-round competitions, in a bid to reach twice as many athletes in 2013 as it did last year.

"We can tell the story of Gatorade well in 30 seconds," Ms. Flatley added. "Prime and Recover, where they are in the life cycle, it's much better told in a locker room, on a field, by a trainer one-to-one."

LG Also Works on Augmented Reality Glasses, Smart Interactive Watch - Report. Anton Shilov , Xbit Laboratories . 3/27/2013

It looks like the race for smart interactive wrist-watch is officially on. In addition to Apple, Google, Samsung and unknown companies from China, LG Electronics, a major consumer electronics giant, has already begun development of its own smart watch device. Moreover, the South Korean company is also working on wearable construction akin to Google Glass.

The Korea Times recently reported that LG Electronics is already developing a wearapble smart product similar to Google’s Glass, as a part of its long-term strategy to keep its competitiveness in the volatile information technology industry. In addition, the company is working on smart wrist-watch, which will assist its smartphones and eventually tablets.

“It is one major part of many currently non-commercialized products under development by LG Electronics. The company has spared no efforts to invest in products that it believes are must-haves to stay ahead technology wise in the market, whatever the situation maybe. LG Electronics believe that it is not lacking in technology compared to its competitors, especially Samsung Electronics, and have maintained a consistent standard to keep innovation alive,” a source familiar with ongoing proceedings at LG Electronics told the news-paper.

While the wearable construction like Google Glass seems to be something all-new and interesting for LG, it should be noted that the company already offered LG GD910 Touch Watch with Internet capability, which could tell time, make voice and video calls, send email and SMS messages and play music. The product did not end-up popular partly because of a hefty price tag, because of lack of functionality.

Given that LG is currently working on the second generation of its smart watch, it should avoid many mistakes that are natural for the first generation of any device.

Interactive wrist-watches are supposed to be companions for smartphones and media tablets. It is logical to expect smart watch to feature media player controls, information updates, calendar, compass, reminders, NFC payment system and other functions that do not require a lot of screen real-estate. A lot of users will also appreciate custom apps for such devices.

It remains to be seen how far LG has proceeded with its augmented reality glasses and whether it can compete against Google Glass product when it becomes available.

LG Electronics did not comment on the news-story. 5

26% of Americans Own a Laptop, a Smartphone AND a Tablet Staff , Print In The Mix . 3/26/2013

Deloitte’s seventh edition of the “State of the Media Democracy” survey reveals a 160% growth in the number of U.S. consumers who own the trio of tablets, smartphones and laptops – and this group representing more than one-quarter of U.S. consumers.

Deloitte’s annual study examines technology, media, and telecommunications consumption trends by surveying over 2,100 U.S. multi-generational consumers, ages 14 and older.

Select findings:

DEVICE OWNERSHIP

 75% of U.S consumers own a laptop (same as last year)  55% own a smartphone (a 28% increase over last year’s 43%)  36% own a tablet (a 177% increase over last year’s 13%)  26% own a tablet, a smartphone, AND a laptop -- compared to 10% last year at this time.

TOP VALUED DEVICES

Among the most valued devices:

 69% rated their smartphone as their top valued device (up from 54% last year)  Laptops (65%) were the next-most valuable device  Tablets follow at 32% (up from 26%).

IN ADDITION …

 The use of multiple devices: More than 80 percent of consumers are multi-tasking while watching TV.  93% of Americans rank Internet access as the most valued household subscription, and more than half of all consumers are willing to pay a premium for faster Internet connection, with tablet and smartphone owners more inclined to pay for faster connections.

About: Fielded by an independent research firm from Nov. 8-21, 2012, the Deloitte survey employed an online methodology among 2,129 U.S. consumers. All data is weighted back to the most recent census data to give a representative view of what U.S. consumers are doing.

6

PUBLISHING NEWS

Hearst Corp. Names Swartz to Succeed Bennack as Chief Executive Staff , Ad Age . 3/28/2013

Hearst Corp., the closely held magazine publisher and broadcaster, said President Steven Swartz will succeed Frank Bennack Jr. as CEO, only the seventh in the company's 126-year history. His appointment is effective June 1.

Mr. Bennack, who has spent more than 50 years with the company, led its diversification from newspapers and magazines into TV and other businesses, most recently buying a 50% stake in NorthSouth Productions, the producer of reality shows such as "Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta" on TLC. In 2011 the company bought a stake in Mark Burnett's reality TV production business and formed a joint venture called One Three Media, which now produces "The Voice" and "Shark Tank."

The lengthy reign of Mr. Bennack, 80, had not left much room for other would-be CEOs. He first won the top job in 1979, holding the post until he stepped down in 2002. But he returned in 2008 after the resignation of his successor Victor Ganzi. Getting passed over for the top job likely encouraged Cathie Black, then chairman at Hearst Magazines, to leave in 2010 for a short-lived job running the New York City school-system.

Mr. Swartz, 51, has established himself as visible and respected executive during his two decades with the company, Mr. Bennack told staff in a memo, citing Mr. Swartz's role as the founding editor of SmartMoney and role running the newspapers division. "Steve has exactly the kind of breadth that a company like ours needs: expertise in both editorial and business roles," Mr. Bennack said.

Mr. Swartz named president in December after being appointed chief operating officer in March 2011, a title he still holds. Mr. Swartz serves on the board and also is a director of two Hearst foundations. He is also a trustee under the founder's will.

Hearst's interests include 15 daily and 36 weekly newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Albany Times Union. The company publishes Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Elle and O, The Oprah Magazine; and operates 29 TV stations. The company has stakes in cable networks Lifetime, A&E, History and ESPN.

William R. Hearst III continues as chairman. Mr. Bennack continues as executive vice chairman.

7

Daring magazine ad spending helps Architectural Digest beat industry odds Press Release , Benzinga . 3/28/2013

Marketing data released by Ad Age and Pew Research shows where ad spending is up for Architectural Digest and several women's fashion magazines, while the news industry for both magazines and newspapers is experiencing an overall decline. Integral Media, Minneapolis based national marketing consultants, comments on the findings and how actually increased ad spending is fueling revenue that is beating advertising industry odds.

Magazine readers will find additional publishers have increased the number of ad pages to view this March, according to a recent Ad Age announcement. This comes in contrast to the recent Pew Research results found in The State Of The News Media in 2013. While news media numbers have lowered over all, pockets in the home design industry and the burgeoning women's fashion and beauty sectors are reporting increases in ad spending.

"Successful business marketing incorporates as many integrated media channels as possible to reach as far as possible to targeted consumer audiences; and print's place is being underscored rather than diminished. Consumers are not about to miss their moments of reveling in the glory of the printed page and it’s important to reach them. Daring to increase ad spending and placements is proving to create steady revenue flow and dependable retail sales. It all happens because new customers are being reached," says Eric Sims of Integral Media.

April's issue of the Architectural Digest’s isn't shy on advertising pages; rather, its advertising pages are up 47 percent over in last year, and jumped 23 percent in ad pages in the Q1 of 2012 when compared to Q1 of 2011.

Growing their reputation in over 92 years in print, the Architectural Digest has been out- performing all expectations lately. While some trim their ad spending, thinking that trimmed budgets will balance spending versus income, the Architectural Digest has found the opposite works. By giving priority to more ad pages in their magazine, they are out- preforming year over year.

Here is Architectural Digest track record of increasing ad pages as Integral Media found reported in Ad Ages's October 12, 2012 article titled "Ad Age's Magazine A-List":

• Increasing ad pages 5.7% in 2010 • 9.1% in 2011 • 11.3% in its 2012 issues through October

Magazine readers will find additional publishers have increased ad page numbers for viewing this March, according to a recent Ad Age article boasting that magazines are dawning a more optimistic marketing approach this spring. For example:

• Conde Nast, publisher of Glamour and GQ magazines, reported a cumulative uptick in March ad pages of 3% compared with last year.  Vogue magazine, the company flagship, led all fashion magazines with 457 ad pages. • Hearst, the publisher of titles such as Cosmopolitan and Elle, saw March ad pages increase 6.7%, 8

• Ad pages at monthly magazines published by Time Inc. are up to keep pace too. InStyle increased to 361 total ad pages in its March edition, a 4% uptick, while People StyleWatch ran 173 ad pages, which translates to a 28% gain in ad spending.

While Marketers have observed recent industry headwinds for print in the view of expanding digital mediums, the effectiveness of magazine advertisements is indisputable. "We know consumers still like the experience of going through the pages of a magazine and not only looking at the content, but also looking at the ads, said Brenda White, senior VP-publishing activation director at Starcom USA"

"While some think that trimming their marketing budget will save cost; others are increasing spending allotments for effective magazine advertisements and gaining more revenue per dollar spent in the long run," comments Sims. April's Architectural Digest issue continues a notable trend in the number of advertisements that include mobile calls to action and QR codes. More luxury brands are using print as an important medium to introduce their digital advertisements as well.

The Pew Research study stated that early one-third, or 31% of consumers surveyed said they have left off reading a news media provider because it no longer offered the level of news and information they had grown accustomed to. The survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults from early 2013 indicated "those most likely to have walked away are better educated, wealthier and older than those who did not—in other words, they are people who tend to be most prone to consume and pay for news". The study correlates the changes to slashed staffs and reduced media coverage.

"It takes a clear vision to spend more at a moment when budgets are tighter; however, wise ad spending pays off," summarizes Integral Media.

Since 1999, Integral Media has delivered efficient, smart media solutions through creative media consulting services. Call 952-470-5254 for comprehensive integrated media buyers where every dollar invested in ad spending has proven results.

Are tablet editions driving luxury print ad sales? Tricia Carr , Luxury Daily . 3/26/2013

Print advertising is in a transitional state as tablet editions offer brands an engaged pool of affluent readers to attract with digital ad enhancements.

High-end magazines are launching tablet editions left, right and center to stay relevant to their savvy readers. However, circulations of luxury-focused consumer publications rarely intersect between print and tablet, so advertisers should tailor campaigns to get the most from their ad buy.

“The overlap between the print version of Robb Report magazine and its tablet editions is only approximately 7.5 percent,” said John Anderson, Los Angeles-based vice president of digital at CurtCo Media, publisher of Robb Report. “That is, only 7.5 percent of the print

9

subscribers have validated their print subscription to receive the tablet edition through iTunes at no cost.

“Most of the downloads of our tablet editions are from digital-only subscribers or single- issue digital purchasers through iTunes, Zinio, Nook, Kindle Fire or Google Play,” he said.

“Because of these different audiences and the fact that print advertisers receive placement in the tablet edition at no additional charge, the extended reach to a new and qualified audience helps add value to the print sale.”

Tablet savvy

Magazine publishers such as Condé Nast, Hearst and American Express Publishing target affluent readers by offering not only traditional print issues, but enhanced tablet editions as well.

The tablet editions often contain editorial enhancements such as image slideshows, video, pop-up boxes and an intuitive reading platform. Often, these extras are available to advertisers.

Condé Nast publications including Architectural Digest, Vogue and Vanity Fair have digital editions for the iPad, Kindle Fire, Nook and other devices.

Hearst magazines such as Elle Décor, Town & Country and Veranda are available on the App Store, Kindle Newsstand, Nook Newsstand, Google Play, Zinio and Net Issue for the corresponding tablet devices.

In Hearst tablet editions, advertisers are offered enhancements such as video, slideshows, animations and hot spots.

American Express Publishing’s Travel + Leisure designs its monthly tablet edition for iPad and Kindle Fire with additional images, slideshows and other interactive features.

Finally, CurtCo Media’s Robb Report offers a tablet edition through which the portrait view reflects the print magazine while the landscape view gives additional slideshows, images and videos on some editorial and ad content.

The March landscape edition, for example, greets readers with a teaser film for the first time. The video gives a preview of the Car of the Year decision process that takes place in California’s Napa Valley.

While some advertisers in the digital edition of Robb Report simply link to their Web site, Breguet, Corneliani, Lamborghini and Louis XIII de Rémy Martin stood out in the March issue with more content that lets readers explore the brand.

Italian automaker Lamborghini’s one-page ad placement expands to a nine-page image gallery.

The main page also contains buttons that let readers browse the Lamborghini Web site, explore its heritage through the automaker’s 50th anniversary video, celebrate the brand through a video set in Italy and locate a dealer (see story).

10

Lamborghini ad

Luxury advertisers must consider tablet readers as a separate audience from print readers to extend the life of their print buy.

Robb Report has found that its tablet readers are willing to engage with both editorial and ad content.

“Our metrics show that viewers are very actively engaging with the ads, taking advantage of the links, videos and other overlays with almost 100 percent engagement,” Mr. Anderson said.

Consider this

The audience reading tablet editions is often separate to that of the print edition’s audience.

Therefore, advertisers can get more value from their print buy if they take the time to tailor their placements to each group.

Tablet editions do not seem to be contributing to print ad sales, but are an opportunity on their own.

“I think that both the print and tablet editions stand on their own,” said Katie Brockman, associate publisher at Veranda, New York. “They offer advertisers different and unique ways to connect with our readers.”

Luxury advertisers that enable enhancements, promote engagement and cater to each outlet’s readers will stay a step ahead.

“We see very little overlap between print and tablet subscribers,” Ms. Brockman said “Each is a very different experience and people choose one or the other for specific reasons.

“Our print version, in particular, has a very luxe heavy paper stock, which people love,” she said. “The magazine is visually stunning and it feels very substantial in your hands.

“Other readers love the convenience of reading the magazine on their tablet devices.”

Time.com Taps Daily Beast Vet as Managing Editor TJ Raphael , Folio . 3/29/2013

The end of the week has brought another change up at Time Inc. According to an internal staff announcement, Time.com’s managing editor Cathy Sharick has stepped down, with the site appointing Edward Felsenthal to succeed her.

Sharick will go on to “fulfill her dream of working for a dotcom start-up,” which was not named in the announcement.

11

In 2008, Felsenthal co-founded The Daily Beast as its executive editor and helped move the site from a startup to an online destination that attracted more than 7 million monthly unique visitors by 2011.

Prior to that, he was a reporter and editor for more than a decade at the Wall Street Journal, where he was named deputy managing editor in 2005. At WSJ, he assisted in the launch of the Personal Journal and helped shepherd the global launch of Al-Monitor.com, a news site covering the Middle East.

Traffic to Time.com is up 12 percent year-over-year, according to the announcement, and under Sharick’s watch the brand helped grow Time.com’s Web traffic, which now receives more than 10 million monthly unique visitors, as well as its social audience to include more than 4.4 million Twitter followers, 2.6 million Google+ fans and more than 743,000 Facebook fans.

POSTAL NEWS

USPS has no power to axe Saturday mail delivery, says GAO Staff , Post & Parcel . 3/25/2013

USPS is planning to abandon Saturday delivery for regular letter services from 5th August as part of its efforts to cut its multi-billion dollar annual losses by some $2bn a year. Package delivery and priority/express services will continue to take place on Saturdays.

The plan is based on a fresh USPS interpretation of US legislation that has required six-day- a-week mail delivery since 1983, which suggested the language in the current federal appropriations legislation currently proceeding through Congress leaves the door open to five-day delivery.

However, various members of Congress, along with US postal unions, have disagreed with the USPS interpretation, stating their belief that US law still requires mail deliveries on Saturdays.

Last week the US Government Accountability Office – the auditing and investigative arm of Congress – came out to disagree with USPS, describing the Postal Service interpretation as “faulty” within an Opinion requested by Congressman Gerry Connolly.

The disagreement between the GAO and USPS regards the Continuing Resolution (CR) approved by the Senate last week, which is designed to keep the federal government temporarily funded until a full Appropriations Act is passed by Congress. USPS suggested that since the CR does not provide any actual funding to the Postal Service, it does not have to abide by the attached requirement for six-day-a-week mail delivery.

12

“This conclusion rests upon a faulty USPS premise,” wrote Susan A Poling, the GAO general counsel in a letter sent to Congressman Connolly on Thursday.

The GAO said that although the CR does not provide funding for USPS, a continuing resolution “generally maintains the status quo until Congress can pass a formal appropriations act”. This means that the CR has the expectation that “agencies will continue to carry out the status quo during a continuing resolution, unless otherwise specifically stated” – the status quo including six-day mail delivery in the GAO’s eyes.

“USPS’s interpretation of the Continuing Resolution and of the 2012 Appropriations Act parses the statutes in a fashion that frustrates both the nature and the purpose of the Continuing Resolution,” said Poling.

“Impartial and definitive”

Congressman Connolly, the Democrat from Virginia, who sits on the powerful House Oversight Committee and is ranking member of its Subcommittee on Government Relations, said late on Thursday that the GAO legal opinion “clearly rejects” the USPS plan.

He said: “This impartial and definitive GAO legal opinion makes it crystal clear that USPS cannot operate outside the legislative authority of Congress and unilaterally implement a change in delivery service that many believe will not only disrupt mail service, but also exacerbate USPS revenue losses and contribute to the decline of this constitutionally- mandated service to all Americans.”

“Sustainable”

However, leading Republicans in Congress wrote to the USPS Board of Governors on Thursday to back the move to five-day-a-week mail delivery. House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa and Senate Governmental Affairs Committee ranking member Tom Coburn described the USPS plan as “modified six-day mail delivery”.

Their argument is that USPS is not dropping six-day mail delivery, but is just choosing to alter which products are delivered on which day of the week “to maintain a sustainable service”.

The Congressman from California and the Senator from Oklahoma also argued that in communications to Congress, the White House did not request removal of an existing legislative provision in detailing what needs to happen to rescue the Postal Service. This suggested to the Republicans that the Obama Administration did not see it as necessary for dropping Saturday mail delivery, a measure the White House supports as part of comprehensive postal reform.

“As members tasked with the responsibility of postal authorisation, we continue to support the position the Postal Service has articulated that preservation of this appropriations rider does not prevent the planned implementation of a modified 6-day mail delivery schedule,” said Issa and Coburn in their letter.

“What’s more, we believe that the Board of Governors has a fiduciary responsibility to to utilise its legal authority to implement modified six-day mail delivery as recently proposed.”

13

“Difficult”

American postal unions said the GAO opinion showed there was “no legislative authority” for the move to five-day-a-week mail delivery.

Frederic Rolando, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, said: “The GAO agrees with an ever-growing chorus of voices that the Postmaster General doesn’t have the law on his side in this matter.”

The Association of Marketing Service Providers, the mailing and fulfillment services trade body, suggested that the current wording of the 2013 CR makes it “very difficult” for the Postal Service to make the case for ending Saturday delivery this August.

“Absent passage of separate postal legislation, I would expect Saturday delivery of all mail to continue,” said AMSP director of members’ services Tyler Keeney in the association’s blog. “This may have to be resolved in the courts, however.”

RETAIL NEWS

New web initiatives and more stores has Cabela's targeting double digit growth Staff , blodic.us . 3/27/2013

Cabela's (CAB) surprised Wall Street recently when it announced first quarter EPS guidance that blew away the Zacks Consensus Estimate as growth remained strong across most of its product categories.

This Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) is expected to post another year of double digit earnings growth in 2013. Cabela's is more than just a retailer that sells hunting, fishing, and camping merchandise.

It only has 35 stores in the U.S. and Canada but customers have been known to drive vast distances to go to a store. The larger legacy stores are built like large log cabins and have unique features such as in-house restaurants--some which serve wild boar--trophy animal mounts displayed on indoor mountains, and big aquariums filled with fish. You don't just go to Cabela's to shop. You go there for the experience.

When a new store opens, it's a big event. It's not unusual to see 10,000 to 15,000 people show up at a grand opening. Special Offer: Zero in on some money-making opportunities as well as some urgent sell alerts that could save you from devastating losses.

Get nearly 100 buy and sell calls from almost four dozen of the world's most successful investing experts all in one place in Forbes' Best Ideas for 2013. The Web Experience To

14

Improve Cabela's e-commerce and catalog business has been struggling in recent years but the last two quarters has seen a turnaround.

Survey names Kohl's, Dollar General, Lowe's among top brands Staff , Retailing Today . 3/28/2013

Harris Interactive has revealed the brands that Americans rank highest in brand equity. Surveying more than 38,000 American consumers, it measures the level of quality, familiarity, and purchase consideration for each brand, and then awards "Brand of the Year" status to the top-ranked brand from each category.

Kohl’s was the top finisher in the department store category, followed by Macy’s and J.C. Penney. Target came out on top in the mass merchandiser category, with Walmart in second place.

In drug stores, Walgreens was number one, followed by CVS and Rite Aid.

Here are top finishers in the other retail categories:

Sporting goods stores: Cabela’s (No. 1), REI (No. 2), Dick’s Sporting Goods (No. 3)

Value stores: Dollar Tree, Dollar General

Warehouse stores: Costco, Sam’s Club

Office supply: Staples, Office Depot

Off-price: Marshalls, Ross Stores, TJ Maax

Hardware and home improvement: The Home Depot, Lowe’s

CVS/pharmacy launches new iPad app Katherine Boccaccio , Retailing Today . 3/26/2013

CVS/pharmacy announced Monday the launch of a first-of-its-kind interactive iPad app, delivering a virtual 3-D digital drugstore experience for Apple iPad users.

With the new app, CVS customers can explore a virtual 3-D CVS/pharmacy and access services from the pharmacy, ExtraCare, photo center and MinuteClinic, as well as browse departments to shop.

"Our app makes it unbelievably easy for customers to shop, fill prescriptions, manage their ExtraCare accounts and more through a highly personalized experience and 3-D realism," said Brian Tilzer, SVP and chief digital officer for CVS/pharmacy.

15

Available for free on iTunes, the CVS iPad app incorporates an interactive, user-friendly, virtual CVS/pharmacy interface that relies on gesture-based movements that are native to touch-screen tablet environments. Tapping on popular areas of the store from the home screen will launch mini apps for different parts of the store, including:

 Pharmacy services with enhanced prescription management;  ExtraCare with coupon center that allows shoppers to sign in for savings and rewards;  Catalog-style shopping;  A photo center that allows app users can upload photos from their tablet camera roll to be printed for pickup that very same day at a local CVS/pharmacy; and  MinuteClinic location and informational services.

Family Dollar names merchandise head Staff , Post & Parcel . 3/25/2013

Family Dollar Stores has named Scott Zucker to the newly created position of SVP merchandise operations. Zucker will be responsible for driving the strategy and execution of merchandise initiatives, category management, merchandise planning and replenishment. In his new role, he will report to Michael Bloom, president and COO.

"Meeting the needs of our customers and team members is critical to our mission of being a compelling place to shop and work. This new alignment will allow for improved execution, simplified operational processes, inventory optimization and faster strategic decision- making,” said Bloom. “Scott brings a wealth of leadership and experience in merchandising, supply chain planning and information technology, all of which will provide tremendous support of our long-term strategic goals.”

Zucker joined Family Dollar in 2006 as divisional VP pricing. In 2007 he was promoted to VP merchandise operations, and most recently, Zucker served as VP IT Solutions.

Prior to joining Family Dollar, Zucker was with BearingPoint Consulting where he had the opportunity to work with a number of large retail organizations. After graduating from Davidson College, he started his retail career with Belk. He earned his MBA from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1997.

16