As the retail environment begins to show signs of life, retailers are taking an optimistic approach with marketing messaging. Known for its cause and optimistic marketing efforts, Office Max is taking a light-hearted approach to innovate and give customers something to shop about.

The company recently unveiled its first high-tech private label product line, ENGAGE, which was designed to offer customers affordable technology products and accessories that reflect the company’s tagline: Connect to the Future of Computer Technology.

Office Max launched its first campaign since 2004, citing a new moniker, “Good for Business.”

“Marketing is focused on the future,” said Bob Thacker, VP Marketing, Office Max. “It’s really about what can be. The very nature of marketing is to be positive, and I think the last year or more, most marketing for many companies has been paralyzed — and to hold up a mirror and show people the ugly side of mankind and the economy is a mistake.”

Tapping the power of customer reviews and recommendations, online car accessories retailer AutoTruckToys sought to deliver an enhanced customer experience by giving Web site visitors targeted, relevant offers.

Serving the automotive, truck and SUV aftermarket since the late 1990s, AutoTruckToys started out as a small company based in Paris, TN. The company has grown into an industry-leading distributor of accessories through a dedication to customer service, on-hand inventory and same-day shipping. Keeping these same business principles over the years, AutoTruckToys now has over 30 employees and stocks over 40,000 products from more than 250 of the industry’s top manufacturers.

Like other mid-level e-tailers, Josh Hart, CEO of AutoTruckToys, gets ideas for innovative site features from e-tailing leaders like Amazon.com. He viewed Web site recommendations on those leading sites, saw the increase in Web 2.0 interactivity, and wanted to add those capabilities to his site. But he was also realistic about what his company’s relatively small Web site team could accomplish in a short time. So Hart tapped personalized recommendations provider MyBuys to customize site offerings.

By Rob Simmons, CEO, Freedom Shopping

RFID is coming off the whiteboard and into the warehouse, store and consumer environment. As a technology, it provides precisely the type of payout decision makers expect in this tight economy; more output for the same dollar.

The obstacles to improved profits using RFID are primarily psychological, due to a stigma and false assumptions that have surrounded the technology for years. It’s time to let go of these myths and misperceptions and improve your company’s operations and profits NOW.

Myth # 1  - The extra costs don’t justify the benefits over barcode
Possibly, maybe if only one department or function is looking to use the technology. But when the tags and tracking are used ACROSS functions, the payoffs become dramatic. More importantly, RFID can provide breakthroughs and income possibilities that not exist before. Rather than looking for specific line item benefits, expect to see convergent solutions, where one tag application yields a number benefits throughout the product cycle, some financial, some experiential. Another thing that’s commonly misunderstood is that the ROI has less to do with the unit cost of the item than it does with the management cost you are expending per item.

Sterling Commerce recently announced that specialty retailer New York & Company Inc. will deploy the Sterling Always in Stock solution as part of the retailer’s efforts to achieve seamless cross-channel operations.  The new Sterling solution is designed to combine advanced cross-channel order management with seamless integration capabilities.

“At New York & Company, we are all about building the customer experience,” said William Voit, EVP & CIO at New York & Company.  “Sterling Always in Stock will offer us innovative capabilities to save the sale that will not only minimize customer inconvenience and maximize customer loyalty, but also enable us to increase inventory optimization.”

The retailer’s proprietary branded New York & Company merchandise is sold exclusively through its national network of 592 retail stores in 44 states and an e-commerce store.  The company will deploy Sterling Always in Stock in an initial 100-store pilot as part of an initiative to optimize the store experience, giving associates the power to help customers find and purchase desired items.  By integrating Sterling Always in Stock with its point-of-sale systems, New York & Company is focused on supporting advanced cross-channel fulfillment by allowing ship to home for goods not available at the store.