Showing posts with label National Retail Federation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label National Retail Federation. Show all posts

NRF’s Retail Innovation & Marketing Conference to Light Up San Francisco

City and County of San FranciscoNational Retail Foundations Innovation and Marketing Conference is in San Francisco this Year
Washington, February 23, 2010 – As the retail industry continues to build upon the combined power of marketing, technology and ecommerce, the National Retail Federation will bring together some of the most forward-thinking executives in the industry for the inaugural Retail Innovation and Marketing Conference, March 2-4, 2010 in San Francisco. The event, held at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, will provide educational opportunities in areas such as cross-channel strategies, new approaches to marketing, social media, and branding.



The Retail Innovation and Marketing Conference is powered by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, NRF’s division for marketing professionals, and Shop.org, NRF’s digital division.



Opening the event, Williams-Sonoma Chief Marketing Officer Pat Connelly will discuss how the company, historically focused on traditional direct marketing, is embracing online/interactive channels to build integrated, innovative programs that are positioning the company for even greater success. Connelly’s keynote, “Cooking Up Marketing Innovation with Williams-Sonoma,” will occur Wednesday, March 3 at 8:30 a.m.*



Other high-profile speakers and sessions include:



How Macy’s Delivers Consistent & Creative Customer Experiences in all ChannelsWednesday, 3/3, 12:45 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.  Speaker: Peter Sachse, Chief Marketing Officer, Macy’s, Inc.

With many shoppers browsing online and then buying in a store, learn how Macy’s uses technology to unify the power of their brand by interacting with consumers at many touch points.



Driving ROI through Social SellingWednesday, 3/3, 4:05 p.m. – 4:25 p.m. Speaker: Julie Bornstein, Senior Vice President, Sephora Direct; Bridget Dolan, Vice President, Marketing and Business Development, Sephora.

This session will explore mobile and social media outlets in regards to how they can fit in an overall retail strategy. Executives from Sephora will also detail how they are using a variety of these tools, including Facebook, Twitter, customer reviews and blogging, to drive conversions, customer loyalty and ROI.



‘Online to On-Shelf’: Building Next Generation Retail Demand the Dell Way – Keynote Address Thursday, 3/4, 8:45 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.  Speaker: Ronald Garriques, President, Communications Solutions, Dell

Hear how the Dell brand has created a best-in-breed cross-channel global retail footprint by focusing on their loyal consumer base and optimizing new retail channels.



33 Million People in the Room – Keynote Address

Thursday, 3/4, 10:50 a.m. – 11:35 p.m.: Digital media expert, consultant and author Juliette Powell will present a unique perspective on the social media phenomenon and provide examples of companies that are achieving a strong positive ROI with a sprinkle of creativity and constant dedication to the social space.



Also during the conference, RAMA and Shop.org will announce the winners of the Racie Awards during the Awards Reception and Dinner Gala, which honors retail’s most creative and innovative advertising and marketing campaigns. In addition to presenting the finalists with either a gold, silver or bronze award, attendees at the gala get to vote for the Best of the Best. The Awards Reception takes place March 3 at 6:00 p.m.  New to the Racie’s this year is the addition of eCommerce/Digital categories, including: Digital/In-Store Experience, Motion Design, Website Experience, Rich Media Online Advertising and Promotion, Social Commerce and Mobile Apps. The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, independent stores, chain restaurants, drug stores and grocery stores as well as the industry's key trading partners of retail goods and services. NRF represents an industry with more than 1.6 million U.S. retail establishments, more than 24 million employees - about one in five American workers - and 2008 sales of $4.6 trillion. As the industry umbrella group, NRF also represents more than 100 state, national and international retail associations. www.nrf.com.



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NRF is pleased to grant complimentary registration to editorial staff members of the press, as well as accredited retail analysts and bloggers. Click here to register online for the 2010 Retail Innovation and Marketing Conference, or call Kathy Grannis at (202) 626-8189. 

* All sessions are listed in Pacific Time (PST)

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Posted by John B. Frank Tuesday, February 23, 2010 0 comments

NRF Has It's Say to House Judiciary Committee

An example of street markets accepting credit ...Image via Wikipedia

WASHINGTON, Jul 16, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The National Retail Federation urged the House Judiciary Committee to approve legislation scheduled for a vote today that would require Visa and MasterCard to negotiate over a hidden credit card fee that costs the average family more than $400 a year.

"At a time when Americans are struggling to pay for groceries and to fill the gas tank, doing something about a hidden fee that drives up the cost of basic necessities should be one of Congress' top priorities," NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations Steve Pfister said. "This legislation is a sensible solution to an escalating problem that's costing consumers more every day."

"In a functional market, one would expect that the cost of accepting credit cards would decrease over time as transaction volumes increase, fraud risks go down and technology improves, but interchange fees continue to skyrocket," Pfister said. "Credit card companies continue to impose these fees on retailers and consumers on a take-it-or-leave-it basis while pretending that they're no different than any other cost of doing business. If they really aren't any different, then they should be subject to fair and open negotiation like any other cost."

The Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider H.R. 5546, the Credit Card Fair Fee Act of 2008, during a voting session this morning. Sponsored by Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., and committee member Representative Chris Cannon, R-Utah, the bill would require credit card systems possessing "substantial market power" to negotiate with merchants to reach a voluntary agreement on credit card terms and conditions. If an agreement could not be reached, both sides would be required to submit their final offers to binding arbitration by a panel of antitrust experts appointed by the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission.

At issue is credit card "interchange," a non-negotiable fee averaging close to 2 percent that Visa and MasterCard banks charge merchants every time a credit card or signature debit card is used to pay for a transaction. Visa and MasterCard effectively force merchants to pass the fees on to consumers by requiring them to be included in the advertised price of items and making cash discounts difficult. But interchange is largely unknown to most consumers because Visa and MasterCard keep merchants from disclosing it on receipts and don't disclose the fee on monthly statements.

Unlike other vendors who provide services to retailers, Visa and MasterCard refuse to negotiate over the fees regardless of the size of the merchant. NRF has argued that interchange practices violate antitrust law because banks issuing the cards agree to charge the same rates.

According to NRF estimates, the average U.S. family will pay $427 in hidden credit card interchange fees in 2008, up from $378 in 2007.

The amount has nearly tripled from the $159 paid in 2001, the year NRF began tracking interchange.

Total interchange collections are projected at $48 billion this year, up from $42 billion last year and $16.6 billion in 2001.

The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, independent stores, chain restaurants, drug stores and grocery stores as well as the industry's key trading partners of retail goods and services. NRF represents an industry with more than 1.6 million U.S. retail companies, more than 25 million employees - about one in five American workers - and 2007 sales of $4.5 trillion. As the industry umbrella group, NRF also represents over 100 state, national and international retail associations. www.nrf.com

SOURCE: National Retail Federation National Retail Federation
J. Craig Shearman, 202-626-8134
shearmanc@nrf.com


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