Retail Pro Customers, Alliance Partners, Sponsors and Vendors will be able to learn about and discuss trends and events pertaining to the retail industry at this year's Retail Pro Global Conference. The annual meeting will take place October 12-16 in San Francisco, California, and it will offer a variety of topics and seminars on Retail Pro's products and tools available for retailers.

Retail Pro community members will be able to attend discussions on Retail Pro 9, the company's point of sale software solution for retail management and inventory control. Presentations will cover reporting and analytics with the technology, as well as its core functionality and capability of streamlining operations within retail stores. Attendees will also learn more about retail trends and how in-store shopping experiences can be enhanced with Retail Pro solutions. Customers can learn more about Open to Buy programs, which allow retail stores to increase sales and keep inventory investment lean.

The last day of the Global Conference will feature a session dedicated to Retail Pro Prism, the company's latest point of sale management software known for its incredibly flexible workflows and user interface. Retail Pro customers can register to attend at https://www.retailpro.com/2012Conference/Registration.php.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Thursday, August 30th, 2012 at 1:58 am .

The Gulf of Mexico and the Southern states are not the only places where Hurricane Isaac is stirring up trouble. It also has retailers on high alert as they stock their shelves with necessary items consumers will need to brace the storm.

Isaac was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane and made landfall in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama on late Tuesday evening. The Wall Street Journal reports that many large retail stores closed their doors to weather the storm while it blasted the region. Some stores in Louisiana opened earlier on Tuesday to accommodate more customers, but also to ensure that staff can get home safely before conditions worsen. Wal-Mart has stocked several trucks along the coast with supplies such as bottled water, canned foods and batteries to provide residents with needed provisions in case of power outages and other associated events. Additionally, the retailer kept its doors open for consumers for as long as possible before the storm hit.

Gas prices were also anticipated to rise in preparation for the storm, reports New York Daily News. As off-shore oil rigs and gas production platforms were evacuated, the cost of fuel could increase and stay that way for the next couple of weeks due to Hurricane Isaac.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Wednesday, August 29th, 2012 at 3:20 am .

It is always beneficial for retailers to know and understand what their customers are looking for. Researching and analyzing demographics can help stores know what to offer and how to provide service. Millenials – individuals between ages 18 and 29 – are proving to be a vital group for retailers as the generation is making smarter shopping decisions.

Independent Retailer cites research by PNC Financial Services that found these consumers are attempting to better manage their finances, as many are faced with student loan and credit card debt as well as working lower-paying jobs out of college. Some have to move back in with their parents. Despite this, the research shows that many are spending more on clothing, entertainment and food than previous generations. Retailers have been trying to determine how they can reach these individuals. PNC found consumers in this group respond well to social media campaigns as well as personalized interactions.

According to Forbes, retailers have been trying for the last decade to appeal to these shoppers since they were teenagers. However, trends and financial situations have changed, leaving many stores developing new advertising methods. The source states that Millenials tend to use social media more than email and prefer not to interact with larger businesses. Younger consumers prefer to have authentic engagements with retailers, which may be what merchants need to focus on.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Tuesday, August 28th, 2012 at 1:54 am .

Although recent numbers from retailers have been mostly positive in regards to back-to-school shopping, some consumers are still not finished buying everything on their lists, even though schools are back in session.

The New York Times reports that many parents are waiting to complete their shopping after classes begin so that their children can see what clothing trends will be popular this year. Instead of potentially buying items that might be not be considered cool, students want to wait to see what everyone is wearing so that they can then go out and purchase new clothes. Many retailers are trying to handle the late shopping by putting merchandise on shelves later than normal and extending back-to-school sales. However, some retailers told the source that shopping for the season has been better than the past couple of years and they expect it to stay steady even after school begins.

Online retailing has seen an increase in the amount of back-to-school shopping as consumers are increasingly using their smartphones and tablets to browse for and purchase items. Research by the National Retail Federation found that nearly 70 percent of shoppers will use their devices to buy back-to-school products.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Tuesday, August 28th, 2012 at 1:52 am .

There are many estimates and indications of how the upcoming holiday shopping season will fare. The previous year's numbers and totals help retailers prepare for the winter months. The amount of imports also serve as a good tool for determining what will happen in stores leading up to Thanksgiving and the holidays.

The National Retail Federation's Global Port Tracker found that August and the next few months will see increases in the number of imports, indicating that retailers are stocking up their shelves to accommodate the shopping masses. August is anticipated to see a 6.3 percent rise in imports compared to last year, while September and October will garner 7.3 percent and 13.2 percent more merchandise, respectively. While these amounts are not an exact estimate of how well retail stores will perform during the holidays, the tracker indicates that retailers are confident in their selling abilities and consumers' optimistic outlooks.

In fact, companies and suppliers are feeling more confident about the holiday shopping season, states a report by Capital Business Credit. Of the retailers surveyed, 77 percent stated they believe seasonal sales will be at least as strong as last year, if not more. 

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Tuesday, August 28th, 2012 at 1:48 am .

Even though it's still a few months away, the 2012 holiday shopping season is expected to surpass last year's numbers. One trend that is also anticipated to see a rise in use is online purchases, as shoppers increasingly browse the internet to find and buy gifts.

A survey by RetailMeNot found that nearly one-third of consumers prefer to shop online for holiday purchases, and industry experts believe that number will continue to grow. Fifty-nine percent of customers stated they plan to shop at brick-and-mortar locations, and 10 percent of respondents said they are not planning on purchasing gifts in the weeks leading up to and during the holiday season. Additionally, the survey revealed that some online shoppers are not fully confident in the economy, as 71 stated they have a dismal view of current conditions.

However, just because some internet shoppers may not feel optimistic about the economy, retailers should soon begin efforts to prepare for the holiday season, both online and in-store. ClickZ reports that the shopping period doesn't start with Thanksgiving, but gets earlier each year, according to research by BIGinsight. Forty percent of holiday consumer purchases take place before Halloween, the research found.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Monday, August 27th, 2012 at 1:50 am .

As Congress gets closer to passing two pieces of legislation, retailers that conduct operations solely online could soon be required to start collecting state sales tax from purchases.

According to Independent Retailer, many states across the country have been arguing for online sales to be taxed, even if the retailer does not have a storefront location where the buyer is located. Supporters of the bills say that a large amount of money is lost each year for local and state governments, and internet shoppers should already be paying the amounts. The two potential laws, titled the Marketplace Equity Act and the Marketplace Fairness Act, would require states to create agencies that would collect, administer and oversee online sales taxes. Smaller internet businesses would be exempt from the law, reports the source.

Many states have already begun implementing policies that would help to collect the online taxes, but the current legislation would bolster those efforts, writes Bloomberg Businessweek. Although many previous forms of the two proposals have been put forth before Congress, they have not had the support and backing that the recent bills do, as ecommerce continues to grow within the retail industry.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Monday, August 27th, 2012 at 1:49 am .

Many retail organizations throughout the country are voicing their opinions regarding the swipe fee agreement reached by card giants Visa and MasterCard.

The most recent organization to oppose the settlement is the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), stating that the deal would hurt both businesses and consumers. The RILA also said it would drive down payment innovation, as Visa and MasterCard would be free from being charged with any legal claims regarding interchange practices, which are aspects that led to the creation of the agreement.

"Retailers are concerned that in addition to limiting their future legal options, the proposed settlement preserves the Visa/MasterCard duopoly and constrains emerging innovations that could bring meaningful competition to the marketplace," said RILA president Sandy Kennedy in a statement.

According to Forbes, large retailers are also against the settlement, including Target and Wal-Mart. MasterCard and Visa agreed to pay more than $6 million after they were accused of participating in anti-competitive practices as well as payment processing price fixing. However, many businesses are opposed to the deal. Wal-Mart stated that the settlement will continue to force high charges on retailers and customers and therefore will not change the payment landscape, reports the source.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Monday, August 27th, 2012 at 1:47 am .

Retail Pro Users, Alliance Partners, Vendors and Suppliers will have the chance to attend the Retail Pro Prism Boot-camp, which will be featured on the last day of the company's 2012 Global Conference, held in San Francisco, California, on October 12-16.

On October 16, Retail Pro will host a day-long event to educate and train attendees on the various functions and features of Retail Pro Prism's retail management software. This includes installation, configuration and customizations to fit the needs of retail businesses. Additional areas of focus will include the system architecture, transaction streamlining, customer relationship management capabilities and application modules. Retail Pro Prism provides many benefits for retail store operations and aspects. Boot-camp attendees will be able to earn official certification for Retail Pro Prism. This certification is recognized by Retail Pro International, LLC and Retail Pro University.

The Retail Pro Global Conference will also give Users, Vendors, Sponsors and Alliance Partners the chance to network with other retail professionals. Throughout the event, there will be several networking breaks, along with lunches, dinners and cocktail receptions where attendees will be able to establish valuable relationships. Registration information can be found at https://www.retailpro.com/2012Conference/Registration.php

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Friday, August 24th, 2012 at 8:44 am .

Retail store operations could see a loss in sales if online sellers offer discounts. Consumers are more drawn to these types of deals and could possibly forego an in-store purchase in favor of an ecommerce one.

A recent study by GroupM Next found that almost half of consumers – 45 percent – who visit a retail store would instead purchase an item online if a discount of 2.5 percent of more was offered by the retail site. As these discount amounts increase, the more likely a shopper will leave the physical location and buy the item online. If a 5 percent discount is provided on a website, the number of consumers willing to leave the store jumps to 60 percent.

"Consumers have shifted their path to purchase to include the store as a step but not necessarily the final step, and this will likely continue to increase over time," said GroupM Next CEO Chris Copeland. "Brands that sit on either side, be it as the physical store or the online merchant, have multiple opportunities with this consumer change."

Discounts offered in retail stores helped to boost sales in July, reports Reuters. Consumer purchases made at brick-and-mortar locations increased by 4.6 percent throughout the month.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Friday, August 24th, 2012 at 2:06 am .