RIS Executive News Brief - November 22, 2005

11/22/2005
SAP Extends Retail Market Leadership with Khimetrics Acquisition

In a move to further extend its market position in the retail software space, SAP announces that it is acquiring privately held Khimetrics, a U.S.-based provider of enterprise revenue management and price optimization software. The advanced analytical pricing and forecasting technologies from Khimetrics will build on SAP's retail offering, which extends from the enterprise back office through the retail supply chain and to the store.
Analysts from CSC Consulting, Aberdeen Group, Forrester Research and IHL Consulting agree that the aquisition demonstrates continuing evidence of SAP's strategy to acquire narrowly-focused solutions that enhance its offerings and address specific customers' business challenges. However, integration will be key for long-term success.


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Dress Barn Reduces Costs with New POS
The Dress Barn reveals first-year metrics and process improvements that have reduced managed services costs following completion of a next-generation, point-of-sale (POS) rollout.
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Woolworths Meets Store Service Strategy with Retalix StoreLine
Australia's leading retailer Woolworths Limited signs a contract for the rollout of Retalix StoreLine across the group's chains.
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Chef's Catalog Deploys CommercialWare Multi-Channel Software
Chef's Catalog, a retailer of cookware, cutlery and kitchen tools, deploys a full suite of CommercialWare products to create a streamlined order management, inventory and customer service system.
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Footwear Retailers Perfect Fit with 3-D Technology
Footwear retailers including Foot Locker, shoes.com and Zappos.com, are perfecting footwear fit with FormaLogix 3D Virtual Fit system.
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Aspect Loss Prevention Helps Retailers Reach PCI-CISP Compliance
Aspect Loss Prevention releases DSM (Data Security Module) security product, designed to work in concert with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard.
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Mercado Releases bSMART Catalog Search Solution
Mercado Software, a provider of e-commerce search and merchandising solutions for online retail and B2B organizations, releases bSMART for B2B-focused online businesses.
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Bulletin Board

Industry Events

December 8, 2005 - PCI Compliance Webinar
Among the most operationally intensive, expensive and error-prone aspects of PCI compliance is documenting, validating and enforcing change processes on systems that process consumer credit data. Hear a PCI auditor talk about how to automate these otherwise manual processes, and reduce the cost of achieving PCI compliance. Click here to register:
www.solidcore.com/landing_pages/webinar5_ris.html Sponsored by Solidcore.

Maximize Return on Your Supply Chain Investment with Collaborative Strategies
According to the recent RIS/CGT Shared Strategy Study performed in conjunction with Forrester Research, an overwhelming majority of retailers and consumer goods companies believe they suffer adverse business effects when they do not collaborate with their trading partners. Today, more retailers and manufacturers are making significant strides to collaborate thanks to the emergence of sophisticated technologies and standards in an effort to align incentives and yield the biggest ROI. Hear Christine Overby, Senior Analyst, Forrester Research, discuss findings from the study, presented by RIS News and sister publication Consumer Goods Technology, in an informative Web seminar, "Consumer-Driven Collaboration." Additionally, hear about real-life examples of collaborative strategies by Steve Methvin, Director of Store Systems, BI-LO/Bruno's, a leading regional supermarket chain. View this recorded Web seminar today at
http://risnews.webex.com under the "Recorded Events" section.

Vendor Viewpoint
Two-Day Fast Track RFID Academy, Alien Technology - Sign Up Today! The Alien RFID Academy is a hands-on tagging, application, use case exercises, site-survey workgroups and more. We turn students into RFID experts. Topics include: Physics & Protocols; Tag Placement & Packaging; Configuration & Optimization; System Architecture & Integration; and Site-surveys & Interference. Click here: http://www.alientechnology.com/da Sponsored by Alien Technology.

There's A Revolution Going On. The billion people online have evolved into a powerful cultural and economical force-and this power has changed the way they shop.They're incredibly well-informed. They're harder to attract and retain. And innovative companies are tapping into their unmet needs to rocket ahead of the competition. At Blast Radius, our mission is to help our clients thrive in this new era by delivering innovative and profitable customer experiences. For practical advice on customer experience innovation, download our free practitioner's guide at: www.blastradius.com/ERISguide. Sponsored by Blast Radius


Instinctively Easy. Amazingly Functional.
As the leading wireless messaging solution for enterprises, GoodLink 4.5, by Good Technology Inc., has the look and feel of Microsoft Outlook optimized for mobile handhelds. Plus, it provides real-time wireless push synchronization of e-mail, rich attachments, and PIM data. Click to request your free information kit:
http://www.good.com/freekit. Sponsored by Good Technology.

Customer Service Becomes Competitive Edge: The Transformation to Point of Service

In a marketplace under increasing pressure from mega-retailers, in-store differentiation is becoming the primary focus for many retailers today. Click here to download this case study to learn how real-time delivery of information and services to the consumer and to store associates can help improve customer service, create operational efficiencies and enhance employee productivity. Sponsored by Intel and IBM.

Ecometry and Blue Martini offer the key to sharing customer information throughout your entire enterprise and offer unparalleled product functionality in a single-source provider. The combined solution enables retailers, catalogers and e-commerce companies to: *Maintain a central view of the customer across every purchasing channel.*Streamline and fully integrate the entire sales, order and delivery process. We empower: Nordstrom, Time-Life, Nine West, Urban Outfitters, Brookstone, Coach, Hickory Farms Ross-Simons, Gymboree, Levi's, Mens Wearhouse and Saks Fifth Avenue. To learn more visit www.ecometrysystems.com or contact Charlene Smith, inside sales: 561-454-4233. Sponsored by Ecometry.

The Total Cost of Ownership for Point-of-Sale and PC Cash Drawer
, presented by IDC. Point-of-Sale solution or a PC Cash Drawer: Which will cost you more? IBM presents: "The Total Cost of Ownership for Point-of-Sale and PC Cash Drawer." This Webcast is designed to help retailers understand the differences in total costs between POS and PC Cash Drawer systems. Click here to attend the Webcast at your convenience. Sponsored by IBM.

Industry White Papers
Improving Performance via Demand-Driven Workforce Management

As competitive pricing shrinks profit margins, you need to find new ways to control costs in your stores. Click here to download this whitepaper, which explains how demand-driven workforce management can improve retail store performance by balancing the needs of your business, customers and employees. Sponsored by Kronos.


Utility Computing: The IT Infrastructure for Retail

The utility model provides a limitless infrastructure of IT resources and helps retailers to reduce costs, scales to meet the changing needs of business, and ensures security and data integrity. Click here to download this white paper to help understand how utility computing works and why it should be on the list of things for every CIO to evaluate. Sponsored by Savvis.

Enabling Mobile Sales: Putting CRM in Your Pocket
The development and maintenance of strong customer relationships are critical to the growth and profitability of all enterprises. Click here to download this whitepaper and learn how a scalable, secure wireless system can help increase sales productivity, customer responsiveness and the ability to capitalize on immediate sales opportunities. Sponsored by Good Technology.

Optimizing Profits through Supplier Performance Management

Vendor performance management (VPM) is the foundation of collaborative planning, allowing retailers to strike better, smarter deals with vendors, as well as allowing those retailers to take steps to ensure in-stocks even during volatile seasonal and promotional activity. Click here to download this white paper and learn how VPM can help reduce stock levels and increase profitability. Sponsored by Business Objects.


EPC Class 1 Generation 2 RFID Specification
The EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2 protocol will help solidify the adoption of UHF RFID.
This paper provides a brief explanation of how EPCglobal Class 1 Gen 2 improves on previous protocols and the expected impact of these benefits, including faster, more flexible read and write speed, higher reliability in tag counting, more robust performance of many readers in close proximity, enhanced security, and extensibility to higher-function tags and systems. Click here to download. Sponsored by Alien Technology.


Executive Intelligence

Keeping the Holidays Profitable

Tips on shrinking holiday loss

By: Joe Davis, CPP, director of loss prevention and operations strategy, Encapsulon

Retailers are gearing up for the holiday shopping season. To prepare for the rush, retailers will hire seasonal staff, stock additional inventory and prepare for the increased number of customers that will hit stores. While this can be the most lucrative time of year, it can also be a time of significant loss. Just as retailers must plan ahead to ensure that adequate resources are in place to handle the peak buying season, they should also implement programs designed to mitigate the increased risks. A few, simple steps can help retailers reduce shrink and maintain profitability.


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Delta Faucet Runs Scene7 for Online Faucet Configuration
Delta Faucet utilizes Scene7's media platform to enable customers to visually configure thousands of different styles, colors and finishes on its corporate Web site.
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U.S. Navy Deploys RFID Services and Engineering Support
The Department of the Navy Automatic Identification Technology Program Office selects Zebra Technologies to provide RFID professional services and engineering support.
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GNX and WWRE Complete Merger Transaction to Form Agentrics
GNX and the WorldWide Retail Exchange (WWRE) close the merger transaction, which was announced earlier this year.
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GSI Commerce Partners with Visa for e-Commerce Authentication
GSI Commerce offers its online retail customers the protection of Verified by Visa.
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GoRemote and NSB Deliver Managed Broadband Services
GoRemote Internet Communications and NSB Group partner to facilitate the delivery of Connected Retailer solutions.
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Karabus Management Acquires Merton3
Karabus Management, a North American retail consulting firm, acquires Merton3, a US-based retail consulting firm specializing in merchandise planning, allocation and assortment planning.
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Sears Holdings Names Lisa Schultz to Lead Apparel Design
Sears Holdings names Lisa Schultz executive vice president, Sears Holdings Apparel Design, a new position.
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Retailer 99 Cents Appoints Rob Kautz CFO
Retailer 99 Cents Only appoints Rob Kautz executive vice president and chief financial officer.
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