Valentine’s Day and Catalogers: Better Late Than Never
Christmas isn
News
International Study: Widespread RFID Implementation, but Challenges Impede Integration
RFID has the clear potential to transform the retail supply chain through real-time product tracking and identification and elimination of human error, but the industry is slow to embrace the new possibilities it offers — and technical and human challenges are impeding industry-wide RFID integration. So concludes an international survey conducted by Deloitte and Retail Systems Alert Group. The survey, “RFID: How Far, How Fast: The State of RFID,” provides the most recent snapshot of how 122 retailers, distributors, CPG companies and apparel manufacturers view RFID adoption and innovation in the 2004-2005 timeframe. It also provides initial insight into industry-wide investment and expectations for RFID in the next five years.
Airgas to Acquire Kanox
Radnor, PA-based medical and industrial welding metals conglomerate Airgas signed a letter of intent to acquire Hutchinson, KS-based Kanox, a distributor of packaged gases and welding hard goods.
Sonoma’s Direct Sales Jump 18% for FY’04
San Francisco-based home products cataloger/retailer Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM), whose titles include Hold Everything, Pottery Barn, and West Elm, increased both fourth quarter and annual revenue while building its bottom line.
Live from the National Postal Forum: PMG Confirms 5%-6% Rate Hike Likely
A keynote address that included images on five plasma TV screens, elaborate slide presentations, a video, and even a short performance from a local band kicked off the 2005 National Postal Forum at the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center here on March 21. More exciting than the bells and whistles, though, was Postmaster General John Potter
Survey Says: More E-mails Are Blocked, Filtered
As Internet service providers (ISPs) continue to implement spam-combating systems, more and more permission-based e-mails are being blocked by spam filters, according to a survey by New York-based e-mail services provider Return Path.
Your Marketing Plan’s Weakest Link
The front-line staffers
Channel Segmentation: What’s Next
By now you know that you should be segmenting your house file not only by recency, frequency, and monetary value (RFM) but also by order channel and by type of Web activity (organic search, affiliate-driven, e-mail responders, and the like). After all, your pure online customers most likely have different characteristics and buying patterns from those who order by phone or those who are driven by a print catalog to order online.
Retailers See Varying Colors
Three recent reports from the National Retail Federation (NRF) paint somewhat different views of the retail picture past, present, and future.
Plan Now to Enhance Service for the Holidays
No, not St. Patrick