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NRF Retail's Big Show 2012 Coverage |
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During the NRF 2012 Big Show, Retail TouchPoints conducted video interviews with more than 35 retail executives, including retailers and solution providers. In the following TouchPoints TV videos, these leading industry executives discuss key industry trends for 2012 and beyond. They also share success stories around recent implementations and their predictions for the current and future state of retail.
Brendan O'Meara,
Microsoft
O’Meara discussed the retail industry’s current focus on the customer experience, embracing digital, and the convergence of online and the store. “Retailers must think about how to create compelling experiences that embrace mobile when in the store,” he noted. O’Meara also talked about the evolution of digital signage, which now offers an interactive mode. Microsoft has introduced Kinect for Windows, which, among other things, allows consumers to “shop from the couch.” Regarding the event, he noted: “NRF this year – the energy level is very high. Real projects, real investments, real deployments being made.” Microsoft also announced an advanced version of its Surface technology, along with Samsung, and the Dynamics AX 2012 solution.
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Dennis Hernreich,
Casual Male
In this episode of TouchPoints TV, Dennis Hernreich, COO and CFO of Casual Male Retail Group, receives the Retail TouchPoints Customer Engagement Award for Merchandising and Assortment Optimization. Through a partnership with QuantiSense that developed in 2007, the retailer has successfully revamped its merchandising strategy to appeal to its eclectic audience. QuantiSense “brought a world of analytics and reporting to the company that we didn’t have before,” according to Hernreich. Hernreich provides in-depth detail into Casual Male’s growing partnership with QuantiSense, as well as the retailer’s new store format, which was developed to provide an optimal environment for target consumers.
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Moosejaw Honored With Customer Engagement Award
Retailers seeking to extend their customer engagement strategy have turned to implementing mobile POS in their stores. “The solution has enabled the store associate to fore-thrive the store and has created the perception that we are technologically-advanced based on our social efforts,” said Harvey Kanter, President and CEO of Moosejaw, an outdoor goods and apparel retailer. During this episode of TouchPoints TV, Kanter discusses the overall perks of mPOS, including the ability to regain floor space and create more interactive dialog between customers and sales associates.
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Jason Goldberg,
CrossView
Today, consumers are equipped with various product offers via their mobile device. For this reason, many retailers are focused on improving the in-store experience and creating a better relationship between customers and store associates. In this TouchPoints TV segment, Jason Goldberg of CrossView discusses the impact of mobile on a cross-channel experience, and how retailers can measure customer engagement.
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David's Bridal Honored With Customer Engagement Award
For David’s Bridal, timing is everything. Through a partnership with Manhattan Associates, the bridal apparel and special occasion merchant has been able to ensure the company delivers on the customers’ dreams. “We pride ourselves on delivering on the bride’s dreams, and order management is a big component of that. We have to understand where her order is at any given point in time during that cycle,” said Michael Toth, VP of Business Systems. Toth accepts the Retail TouchPoints Customer Engagement Award on behalf of the retailer, in addition to discussing the importance of supply chain and order management, and current industry trends.
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Greg Petro,
First Insight
The retail industry has been buzzing about the concept of gamification to improve customer engagement. Petro discusses the company’s gamification platform, and how it helps retailers differentiate themselves using product assortment. Petro highlights the company’s partnership and implementation with David’s Bridal, as well as the upcoming launch of First Insight’s expanded product and the new “80/20” rule for retailers. In another TouchPoints TV segment, Jeff Warzel of David's Bridal discusses how the First Insight solution helped improve the merchant''s forecast accuracy.
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Scott Clements,
Tyco Retail Solutions
Clements shares his thoughts on key industry trends around connecting with consumers. Store associate engagement, in connection with social networking and mobile technology, must combine to offer the most meaningful in-store experience. He also discusses how to connect information streams and data to solve problems and drive productivity in the store environment.
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Jeff Warzel,
David's Bridal
David’s Bridal, a First Insight customer, has applied the solution to its product assortment strategy for bridal gowns. Warzel highlights how David’s Bridal avoids the price cannibalization process by understanding how to introduce the right gowns in-store. Additionally, Warzel explains how the company has improved forecast accuracy by 20% by utilizing the First Insight platform.
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David Landau,
Manhattan Associates
Landau accepts a Customer Engagement Awards appreciation certification for Manhattan Associates' work with David's Bridal. He also discusses industry trends related to fulfilling customer orders effectively and employing best practices with store associates. Finally, Landau describes the "three-act play" on display at the MH booth to help customers walk through the shopping process.
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David Vehec,
Genco
As retailers are striving to streamline siloed operations in order to enhance overall business and customer-facing engagements, Vehec highlights how Genco is helping retailers improve planning by implementing product lifecycle management. Additionally, Vehec shares insight into how the company is helping to streamline retail planning and logistics; and he shares customer case study examples.
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Rochelle Schard,
Infor
On the first day of NRF’s BIG Show, retailers and solution providers were eager to interact with peers, attend informative sessions and demo the latest, cutting-edge devices. In a special interview with TouchPoints TV, Rochelle Schard, Director of Marketing for Infor, shared her first impressions of the conference. DDuring the interview, Schard also discusses the current state of workforce management in the retail industry, and how merchants can effectively evaluate goals, as well as develop an optimal planning and implementation strategy.
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Jennifer Hartle,
DirectSource
As the proliferation of mobile devices is significantly changing the way retailers communicate with customers, Hartle highlights the role of QR codes, Near Field Communication (NFC) and mobile applications, as well as the ROI implications of mobile point of sale (POS) technology. Additionally, Hartle explores the must-have tactics and strategies to succeed in mobile retail in the next 3-5 years. Hartle also discusses how DirectSource is helping big box retailers get their mobile strategies up and running.
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Andrew Wren,
Wren Solutions
Andrew Wren of Wren Solutions discusses the recent increase in loss prevention and shrinkage, as well as the balanced approach between internal and external theft. Additionally, Wren offers information about three audit solutions that help drive efficiencies, and discusses key questions retailers should ask as they evaluate the current state of shrinkage.
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Dean A. Sleeper,
AccessVia
Sleeper talks about the airline-themed booth and AccessVia’s new Web dSignShop SaaS in the cloud offering. With the solution in the cloud, AccessVia’s “AV-ator” experts take care of all aspects of the system. “One of the most exciting deployments was done by Best Buy – because we put a unique QR code on each sign, so at the Best Buy headquarters they actually know exactly which person is standing in front of exactly what product inside exactly which store.” Sleeper also shares the news of a new collaboration with Xerox.
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Andi Needham, Axsium Group;
Gary Edwards, Empathica
Retailers are competing for customer attention and dollars now more than ever. As mobile and Internet commerce continue to empower shoppers with access to information, retailers must be quick to provide the same, if not better, experience in stores. During this episode of TouchPoints TV, Andi Needham, Global Retail Practice Lead of Axsium Group and Gary Edwards, Chief Customer Officer for Empathica, share top findings from a recent consumer insights survey. Needham and Edwards also reveal how today’s retailers can use this information to help implement workforce management strategies that will deliver an engaging and memorable in-store experience.
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Dave Finnegan,
Build-A-Bear
Finnegan shares information about the retailer’s partnership with Oracle and the Retail Orphan Initiative (ROI), allowing show attendees to take home a bear for a tax-deductible donation of $20. He also discussed the merchant’s recent cross-channel efforts: a virtual world online for bear owners, which has led to the creation of more than 20 million avatars; an uptick in Facebook fans to 1.7 million, up from 200,000 a year ago; and a mobile app, which has drawn more than 800,000 downloads. Regarding Build-a-Bear’s work with Oracle and ATG, Finnegan says that the ATG platform can be customized and will scale for future growth.
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Dave Sikora,
Digby
Sikora talks about Digby’s new Localpoint platform, designed around the mission of “mobilizing retailers and building out a robust mobile strategy,” he notes. The Localpoint platform extension features three primary characteristics: venue, outreach and analytics. “Our high-level goal is to give retailers the control to engage with their customer when they enter the store.”
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Diane Cerulli,
Epicor
Cerulli shares her overall impressions of the NRF 2012 Big Show. “Mobility is real big this year and for us as well,” she notes. Epicor’s Enterprise Selling application has been implemented by a number of retailers including Coach and American Eagle. Both of these retailers offer buy online-pickup in-store. Foot Locker also runs enterprise selling from Epicor. “If you’re not doing it you’re probably giving millions of dollars away to your competitors,” Cerulli notes.
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Richard Arnold,
HP
HP is a notable leader in the retail technology space. During this year’s NRF Conference, the company’s booth was buzzing with activity. Attendees were speaking with HP executives, and trialing solutions from its new retail-focused suite of products. Richard Arnold, Director of Retail Solutions Marketing for Hewlett-Packard Company discussed the new offerings provided in the company’s Seamless Customer Experience demonstration, including POS and self-service solutions, digital signage, and analytics software. These releases, he explained, will allow retailers to keep up with the needs of cross-channel, information-savvy shoppers.
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Scott Welty,
JDA Software
The JDA Software booth at this year’s NRF show was filled with events and entertainment. Packed with performances and demos, the booth was full of activity and created buzz around the EXPO floor. Scott Welty, VP of Global Retail Industry Strategy for JDA Software, shared his opinion of this year’s conference, and provided in-depth details on new company releases. At the booth, JDA unveiled its Customer Engagement solution, which was developed to address omni-channel commerce and supply chain optimization. Welty also revealed top tools and strategies retailers must keep an eye on for success in 2012 and beyond.
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George Eberstadt,
InkJetSuperStore
Eberstadt accepts a Customer Engagement Award on behalf of Inkjet Superstore and shares how the collaboration between the retailer and TurnTo Networks delivers business benefits by engaging customers and soliciting user-generated content. Using an active-outreach model, Inkjet Superstore sends questions via email to previous purchasers. "They (Inkjet) were looking for a solution that would engage their customer base in this environment where you might not expect much dialogue," Eberstadt says. One significant benefit of this strategy is an increase in conversion. "We measured that and saw that people that interacted through the Q&A system converted at an 80% higher rate than those that didn't interact."
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Fabrizio Brasca,
JDA Software
Cross-channel commerce is on the upswing. As a result, retailers must be quicker to adapt and create flexible, efficient shipping processes. In a special interview at the JDA Software booth during NRF, Fabrizio Brasca, VP of Global Logistics for JDA Software, explains how the emergence of the cross-channel shopper has altered the transportation and logistics management end of the equation. Brasca also shares top transportation challenges for today’s retailers, as well as top trends and best practices for 2012.
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Andrew Paradise,
AisleBuyer
Paradise talks about the penetration of mobile apps. He explains how the AisleBuyer platform helps retailers maximize their businesses by allowing reatilers to pick any hardware they want and place the AisleBuyer cloud-based software on top. With the launch of mShop 2.0, AisleBuyer allows retailers to extend their mobile offerings to include specialty features, such as wine recommendations for a grocery retailer. Additionally, a new dashboard offers more robust analytics. He also shares advice for optimizing the mobile channel by carefully evaluating all the options and features.
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Terri Pare, Simon Pearce;
Jeff Marker, Junction Solutions
Marker talks about the Microsoft retail solutions partnership with Junction. He explains the importance of customer-centricity and empowering the consumer to shop the way they want. “Retailers have to understand how their customers shop so they can connect with them in whatever best way that is,” he states. Pare discusses connecting with customers and creating a consistent experience across channels, including fulfilling orders quickly and offering gift cards.
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Richard Ventura,
NEC Display Solutions
As shoppers continue to tap into their mobile devices and the web to browse and buy items, retailers must go above and beyond to grab consumer attention in-store. During a brief Q&A at Retail’s BIG Show, from the National Retail Federation, Richard Ventura, Director of Sales - Vertical Solutions for NEC Display Solutions shares the importance of creating a compelling brand experience across locations. By implementing interactive display solutions, retailers will encourage shoppers to fully engage with brand products, images and games.
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Ken Goldberg,
Real Digital Media
Retailers are incorporating digital signage into their marketing strategies in an effort to improve customer loyalty. In this TouchPoints TV segment, Goldberg shares his thoughts on brand messaging and its impact on customer engagement. As the level of education on digital signage increases, more retailers are utilizing this tactic to communicate with consumers. Additionally, Goldberg shares success stories from leading retailers that are leveraging digital signage.
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David Dorf,
Oracle Retail
Oracle Retail is keenly focused on the intersection of mobile POS and mobile business intelligence as part of the entire retail operation. Dorf mentions surge in Android activations, as many as 700,000 per day. Oracle is striving to provide access to information for all store employees and shoppers. Oracle is now building out mobile point of sale for checkout. “We found a lot of traction around selling gift cards,” Dorf notes. Oracle also is looking at clienteling on iPads; Dorf notes that the Oracle solution provides the ability to move the cart from mobile phone to clienteling app then to POS for checkout – connecting that whole experience with mobile.
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Kelly O'Neill,
Oracle Retail
O’Neill, who joined Oracle Retail along with the ATG acquisition, discusses the integration of commerce and business operations. “It’s a fascinating time in retail,” she notes. “The consumer has taken charge. It’s fun to be part of Oracle Retail and bring in the Web commerce piece.” Oracle Retail is working to help retailers put together a retail operation that is consumer friendly, satisfying and operationally efficient. Challenge number one, O’Neil says, is a learning curve for consumers and catch-up for retail. “We tell retailers: don’t take a ‘mobile’ approach, take a ‘cross-channel’ approach.”
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Mark Kelso,
Pamida
Kelso shares the retailer’s work with pricing optimization from Revionics. “Revionics offered us the ability to manage the unmanageable,” he says. “It’s almost impossible to analyze anything on a manual basis.” Pamida’s Revionics implementation started in July 2010 with proof of concept through October 2010, then the retailer tested a small group of stores through January 2011, and completed a full rollout in April 2011. Kelso shares some impressive results: “We were trying to bolster our everyday shopping experience. Our base sales…increased 2,300 basis points, which is 23%.”
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Tim Callan,
RetailNext
Callan discusses ways to extract data from retail stores through the use of video cameras and real-time analytics. As more consumers navigate to e-Commerce sites, retailers must find new ways to engage with customers in the store. "As technology trends come together, more than just video processing, it's much easier to assemble that information and give retailers genuine insight that they can act on," Callan notes.
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Diana McHenry,
SAS
A primary theme for SAS this year is: “It’s all about the customer,” says McHenry. She also discusses high-performance retailing. SAS released new retail planning and price optimization solutions during the NRF Big Show 2012. With high-performance retail solutions, “we can design processes in retail differently to provide insights faster, to provide answers all the way through the supply chain, all the way to the customer,” McHenry says. She also discusses Kohl’s implementation of the SAS retail planning solution.
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Ravi Bagal,
Verizon
Bagal explains Verizon’s definition of omnichannel. He notes that consumers want a single experience with retailers across any touch point. Bagal points out that any retailer contemplating an omnichannel strategy needs to think about three fundamental pillars: cloud, mobility and security. “The magic of cloud is that it allows the retailer to be innovative and agile,” he notes. Recently, Verizon worked with Macy’s to develop a pop-up store that featured video analytics and tablet point of sale – up for just 45 days. Bagal also discusses Verizon’s formalized partnership with Stratacache.
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Pascale Juan, I Love Velvet
Mobility was a hot topic at this year’s BIG Show. With the promise of increased purchase rates and customer engagement, retailers are eager to leverage clienteling and payment solutions via tablet and mobile devices. Pascale Juan, Co-Founder of I Love Velvet, discusses the emergence of the company, and the recent release of its mobile payment solution. Juan also shares her insights on Retail’s BIG Show and conference attendees’ overall sentiment.
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