STORES Magazine - November 2008 - (Page 16)

trEnDS the 30 ft. x 12 ft. space which plays off the Lacoste brand’s enduring crocodile logo. The central component of the exhibit is an aluminum corridor with cut-outs reminiscent of crocodile skin on both the external and internal walls. Each cut-out is unique in size and shape and allows consumers to see inside the structure, where several iconic symbols of the Lacoste brand are housed. Items include the ubiquitous polo shirt, which was created by founder and tennis legend René Lacoste in 1933, as well as a replica of the original crocodile logo. The Lacoste exhibit will be traveling to luxury retail locations in North and South America. Less Park Time, More Shop Time Driving up and down the aisles of a parking garage can be an enormous waste of time. Customers at Westfield Century City shopping center will now spend 55 percent less time looking for a parking spot – and presumably more time shopping – as a result of the new Park Assist system. The solution installed in this Los Angeles garage consists of a series of colored LED lights that quickly identify available parking spots. Each parking space is equipped with a sensor that detects vehicles and transmits data to the display in real time. Red, green, blue and purple lights indicate occupied, open, handicapped and expectant mother spots, respectively. The Park Assist system is reported to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 56 percent as a result of fewer cars idling while waiting or searching for spaces. ADVERTORIAL Retailers Experience “Value” of $25 Billion in Holiday Gift Card Sales Gloom and doom headlines recently surfaced after a 2008 gift card survey projected a 5 percent drop in holiday card sales. The culprit – a more frugal consumer in response to a slowing U.S. economy. According to the report, shoppers are expected to shift their spending toward household necessities, like groceries and gas, rather than gift cards. A 5 percent dip may sting the big picture market, but retailers can look to a respectable $25 billion in gift card sales this season. This is still 34 percent over the 2006 sales figures. If the tightening trend of consumer spending holds true, retailers will certainly want to maximize their return on those anticipated billions in gift card sales. The retailers that are already capitalizing on returns in this way are those currently leveraging ValueCENTER, Fujitsu’s complete stored value card management and operations solution. Unlike traditional third-party fee-based approaches, ValueCENTER is a licensed in-house application. It offers a much more cost-effective approach for the retailer, with a simple up-front cost and no transaction charges. So, costs don’t fluctuate with card sales. ValueCENTER includes everything a retailer needs to offer gift card programs that are economical, powerful and flexible. It gives complete control over card inventory, allowing cards to be as creative as a retailer’s marketing ideas. Additional features include: a comprehensive reports suite, full control over all card program parameters, sophisticated card security and an advanced customer service desk. The built-in financial module provides sales audit matching, general ledger extracts and financial reporting. And, of course, ValueCENTER integrates fully with online and VRU/IVR channels. Toronto-based Danier Leather Inc. is one retailer that plans to make the most of gift card sales this holiday season. “With ValueCENTER, we’ve gained efficiencies that have helped us decrease overall costs as compared to a thirdparty managed gift card solution,” said Andrea Timar, director of store systems at Danier Leather. “We can now observe chainwide or store-specific trends in real time, which allows us to effectively develop and execute targeted gift card promotions. In addition, the system requires only minimal staff training, and we can provide additional convenience and services to our customers, which makes them happy.” For more information about Fujitsu’s ValueCENTER software, call 800-340-4425 or visit us.fujitsu.com/retailing. 16 STORES / NOVEMBER 2008 WWW.STORES.ORG http://us.fujitsu.com/retailing http://WWW.STORES.ORG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of STORES Magazine - November 2008

STORES Magazine - November 2008 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Every Cup Counts What Shoppers Think Less Park Time, More Shop Time 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Retail Held Captive First Look Concept2Watch Marketing Technology Custom Software PCI Compliance Data Security Arts Update Newsbeat LP Issues: Q&A Cover Story Surveillance Systems Online Fraud Industry Perspective LOEB Retail Letter Point of View NRF News Retail Crossword Retail Industry Calendar Last Laugh

STORES Magazine - November 2008

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