December

Getting Started with ARTS Standards

November

Sell More Hammers

Goin' Mobile

Mobile payments and M-commerce are quite clearly the next wave of technology to impact retailing. As a service to its members and the retail industry at large, NRF is organizing an initiative to guide the implementation of this technology and its related business processes.

Clouds on Retail's Horizon

The near-term forecast for retail is cloudy. Not the storm clouds of the recession — the worst of that appears to have passed — but rather the kind that have a silver lining.

After 15 years in the standards business, with thousands of downloads by developers in more than 80 countries, the focus has now shifted from the “why” of ARTS to the “how.”

Once again, the ARTS Pavilion at this year’s NRF Annual Convention was a focal point for retailers and vendors looking for innovative ideas and techniques for lowering the cost of retail IT. When one visitor approached the Pavilion reception desk asking, “What is ARTS and why is it important?” Dan Hopping, CEO of Next Retail Group, answered before I could by saying, “ARTS can save you money.”

In my January 2008 STORES column, I wrote: “So let’s talk standards and how they can benefit your retail business in what is shaping up to be a challenging year.” That has proven to be a huge understatement.

Global Growth of ARTS Standards, Richard Mader, ARTS

ARTS standards dominated discussion at the recent Retail Technology Summit in Berlin. From the opening keynote address to the closing panel, the use and relevance of ARTS standards was a consistent theme.

Education Program to Reduce IT Costs, Richard Mader, ARTS

Throughout my many years in retail, the first expense reductions enacted during difficult times were always to sales-floor payroll, travel and education/training. I could never understand why education and training would get cut when the expected results — new ideas and more efficient use of time — are the exact things needed to succeed in a downturn.

The food and grocery industry is going through a period of major change, and ARTS is organizing a new initiative to support its

ttempts to provide consumers with fresher, safer and environmentally-friendly products.

The 6th Annual Retail Technology Summit has been expanded to two full days in response to retailer requests for more in-depth information and education.

A challenging economy presents the class challenge to retailers: how to cut expenses without losing customers or competitive edge by undermining service.  ARTS has released three new standards offering opportunities for savings as well as the potential to increase sales through better service.

ARTS a Big Winner at Euroshop, Richard Mader, ARTS

ARTS vendor members won two of the three Retail Technology Awards Europe (RETA) presented last month at EHI’s EuroShop Conference. Awards are presented to the retailers implementing the best application for customer experience, enterprise solution and in-store operation.

Big Ideas for 2008, Richard Mader, ARTS

During ARTS' BIG !deas Session at NRF's Annual Convention & EXPO, RIS and IHL Consulting discussed the findings of their fifth annual store systems survey.

At the Pavilion, State of the ARTS, Richard Mader, ARTS

I could write another glowing review of what may have been the best NRF Annual Convention ever, but so many others have already done so and ARTS never follows --- we prefer to lead. So let's talk standards and how they can benefit your retail business in what is shaping up to be a challenging year.