RIS Retail

Target Seeks Suppliers as Allies in Battle Against 'Showrooming' Target's recent letter to its suppliers seeking help in the battle against 'showrooming' – the phenomenon of shoppers browsing brick-and-mortar stores but buying from lower-priced competitors – points up the power mobile devices have put into shoppers' hands. Target wants its suppliers to help by providing more differentiated products and/or lower prices, but many wonder if anything can stem the showrooming tide.   JCPenney CEO Outlines Pricing Revamp JCPenney revealed initiatives to change its pricing, promotions, merchandise content and presentation. At a launch event, CEO Ron Johnson and President Michael Francis detailed how the company is reimagining every aspect of the company's business.   Esprit Holdings to Close All 93 North American Stores Apparel retailer Esprit Holdings will shut all 93 of its North American stores as the U.S. and Canadian divisions of the Hong Kong-based company consider filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.   2012 RIS/IHL Store Systems Study: Expanding Boundaries Mobility, cloud computing and empowered shoppers are reshaping the retail technology landscape. Download the Ninth Annual RIS News/IHL Group Store Systems Study to learn how retailers are planning and allocating their store systems budgets in this must-read benchmark research report.
Target Seeks Suppliers as Allies in Battle Against 'Showrooming'	JCPenney CEO Outlines Pricing Revamp
Esprit Holdings to Close All 93 North American Stores	2012 RIS/IHL Store Systems Study: Expanding Boundaries

Target Seeks Allies in Battle Against 'Showrooming'
	Target's recent letter to its suppliers seeking help in the battle against 'showrooming' – the phenomenon of shoppers browsing brick-and-mortar stores but buying from lower-priced competitors – points up the power mobile devices have put into shoppers' hands. Target wants its suppliers to help by providing more differentiated products and/or lower prices, but many wonder if anything can stem the showrooming tide.
	Additional Trends: Sephora Boosts Brand Awareness with Facebook Fan Fridays Customer Experience-Driven Networks Invade Retail Is PayPal's Home Depot Pilot a Game-Changer? 5 Ways Holiday E-Commerce is Changing Survey: 51% of Shoppers Seek Online Access Via Store Kiosks MORE TRENDS...

Saks Leverages Mobile to Link Digital and In-Store Shopping
	Use of mobile devices is becoming the norm, particularly among luxury shoppers, says Saks Direct president/CMO Denise Incandela. She calls mobile a key cross-channel link for the retailer.
	Additional Best Practices: Staples Extends In-Store Signage Printing to 320 Canadian Stores Streamlining the Store Walgreens' Five Tips for Smoother IT Rollouts Barneys New York Goes Cutting-Edge for the Holidays Kohl's Offers No-Cost Electric Vehicle Charging at 33 Stores FYE Boosts Facebook Fans 56% with 'Twilight' Promotion MORE BEST PRACTICES...

2nd Annual 2011 Shopper Experience Study: Taking the Store to the Shopper
	Based on a survey of more than 2,400 consumers, the 2nd Annual Shopper Experience Study, produced by RIS News and Cognizant, taps into shoppers' likes and dislikes. Download this study to find out how to link shopper preferences to specific strategies to improve sales and customer satisfaction.
	Additional Research: Retail Embraces Tablets 2012 RIS/IHL Store Systems Study: Expanding Boundaries 2011 Digital Touch Point Study 2011 Shared Strategy Report 2011 IT Services Guide: New Rules for Retail RIS Software Leaderboard 2011 with Leaderboard Profiles MORE RESEARCH...

Avenue Clothing Stores File for Bankruptcy 02/03/2012

Esprit Closing All 93 North American Stores 02/03/2012

Big Sandy Superstores Selects RedPrairie Merchandise Management 02/01/2012

AutoZone Licenses APT System 01/30/2012

Home Depot Acquires Home Services Marketplace Redbeacon 01/30/2012

Retail Insight Blog
	Stop Amazon from Hijacking Customers Part 2 Last week's blog about Amazon hijacking customers not only struck a chord with readers, but it amazingly dovetailed with news from JCPenney and Target that hit the headlines on the same day. JCPenney launched a bold multi-prong pricing strategy simultaneously with Target launching an initiative to combat "showrooming," a trend where shoppers visit stores to look at products and use digital tools to purchase them from online retailers. Here's how it all ties together.
MORE BLOG POSTINGS...

Top 10 Takeaways from the 2012 Store Systems Study 1/25/2012 2:00:00 PM (EST) Moderator: Joe Skorupa, Group Editor-in-Chief, RIS News Panelists: >>Lee Holman, Lead Retail Analyst,IHL Group >>Charlie McCarter, Regional Sales Director, SMB Retail Solutions, Dell Inc >>Barry Wise, Industry Consultant, Epson America, Inc. View On Demand

The SoMoLo Imperative: Social, Mobile, Local Shopping Reaches the Tipping Point 1/10/2012 12:00:00 PM (EST) Moderator: Joe Skorupa, Group Editor-in-Chief, RIS News Panelist: Dave Bruno, Director of Commerce Studies, RedPrairie View On Demand

Long-Term IT Planning: Mission-Critical in an Age of Breakneck Change
	Technological innovation is both fueling and helping to define retail strategy, making long-term IT planning mission-critical. Download this Thought Leadership report to discover why these plans must combine nimble architectures and processes for closer IT-business alignment. Download Now