STORES Magazine - December 2008 - (Page 82)

INSIDE TRACK NRFnews NRF is gearing up for the world’s leading retail event, the 98th Annual Convention and EXPO, January 11-14, 2009, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. The keynote speaker, Wal-Mart Stores president and CEO Lee Scott, will outline his company’s efforts to create a more ethical and environmentally-friendly supply chain, while staying true to its mission of “helping people save money so they can live better.” BIG Show attendees will learn how Scott led an aggressive corporate environmental sustainability initiative by leveraging Wal-Mart’s global reach in three key areas: renewable energy, zero waste and sustainable products. It will be one of Scott’s final appearances as the chief executive of the world’s largest retailer. Scott will be succeeded by international division vice chairman Mike Duke on February 1, when he will become chairman of the executive committee of the board. More than 18,500 retail executives and vendors from more than 50 countries are expected to attend the convention. The EXPO floor will feature 170,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, including two interactive stores — the Seeing Green concept store in the Green Pavilion and the Customer Experience concept store in the Customer Experience Pavilion. The Green concept store focuses on environmental sustainability and will feature green products and technologies. The Customer Experience concept store will feature the newest products and technologies to help retailers enhance the shopping experience by combining interactive scenarios like social networking and gaming with lighting and digital signage. NRF’s Convention and EXPO is one of the Top 200 events in North America, as well as one of the 50 fastest-growing events, according to Tradeshow Week. To stay Lee Scott abreast of the lat82 STORES / DECEMBER 2008 Compiled by Anastasia Van Engelen Scott Headlines Retail’s BIG Show & WHO WHAT WHEN est news and developments before and during the BIG Show, visit www.nrfblogs.com. MORE THAN half of online retailers (56.1 percent) expect their holiday sales to increase at least 15 percent when compared with the same period a year ago, according to the seventh annual eHoliday Study. The study, conducted by Shopzilla for Shop.org, surveyed 2,040 consumers who had made an online purchase in the last 12 months to provide a snapshot of holiday activities for large and small online retailers. High fuel prices have increased shipping costs for online retailers but, consistent with last year’s levels, the majority of retailers (78 percent) still plan to offer free shipping “with conditions.” This typically means a customer must purchase select items or a certain dollar amount to qualify. Retailers are making up for the increased shipping costs by requiring a higher purchase amount (21.3 percent) for customers to be eligible for free shipping and cutting back on usage of free shipping with no conditions (10.6 percent). Additionally, retailers are renegotiating terms with shipping providers (40.4 percent), closely managing company headcount (33.3 percent) and reducing other promotions (15.8 percent). Online shoppers said round-the-clock shopping convenience (58.6 percent) is the main reason they chose to buy online. Other motivations include avoiding crowds (41.1 percent), easy price comparisons (36.4 percent), free shipping (33.3 percent) and high gas prices (23.1 percent). Customers who plan to scale back their online shopping this year are doing so because of economic conditions. One in five shoppers reports having less money to spend this year; 10.6 percent cited a poor economy as a factor, and 11 percent are shopping less because of high shipping costs. WWW.STORES.ORG Online Retailers Remain Optimistic http://www.nrfblogs.com http://www.Shop.org http://WWW.STORES.ORG

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

STORES Magazine - December 2008 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Wrap Rage Unraveled What Shoppers Think Courting a Comeback 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Cover Story: Navigating the Road Ahead Website Strategy Concept2Watch Online Customer Service International Marketing Green Retailing Online Merchandising Signage Operations Online Strategies Pricing Strategy Kiosks RFID Human Resources Loeb Retail Letter ARTS Update Point of View NRF News Retail Crossword Retail Industry Calendar Last Laugh

STORES Magazine - December 2008

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