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News Image: Text decoration - bulletOther Image: Text decoration - bulletARTS new members 2011

Costco, Genesco, Starbucks, Walmart Among Newest Members of Association for Retail Technology Standards
Click here for a full list of new ARTS members.

For Immediate Release
Kathy Grannis (202) 783-7971 or grannisk@nrf.com
www.nrf-arts.org

Costco, Genesco, Starbucks, Walmart Among Newest Members of Association for Retail Technology Standards

Washington, November 6, 2011 – The Association of Retail Technology Standards, the technology standards division of the National Retail Federation, announced today the addition of several prominent companies to its growing membership. ARTS, the premier retail technology association with members located around the world, was established in 1993 to develop educational materials, best practices and technology standards to enable rapid and effective deployment of IT within retail.

Leading retailers who have joined ARTS recently include Costco Wholesale, one of the largest retailers in the country, operating as a chain of warehouses selling exclusive merchandise and boasting 592 U.S. and international store locations; Five Guys, the fastest-growing restaurant chain in the nation with a 38 percent year-over-year increase in sales revenue from 2009 to 2010; Starbucks, the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee with more than 15,000 stores in 50 countries and Genesco, a North American footwear, apparel and accessories retailer operating more than 2,300 retail stores principally under the names Journeys, Underground Station, Johnston & Murphy and Lids..

“Having spent years as a part of NRF’s CIO Council, we were very much aware of the IT support offerings ARTS has to offer,” said Dennis Harris, Vice President Information Services, Genesco. “As new technologies such as cloud computing and mobile continue to positively impact retail, we wanted to be a part of the ARTS community to work together through their extensive educational technology network.”

Other high profile retailers to join include Charming Shoppes, a leading multi-brand specialty apparel retailer primarily focused on women’s plus-size apparel and the parent company of Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug and Catherines Plus Sizes; Walmart, a Global Retailer with 4,460 stores in the United States; and Whole Foods, the world’s leader in natural and organic foods, with more than 310 stores in North America and the United Kingdom.

Though they are among the list of those who have only recently joined ARTS membership, Google and Walmart are already playing active roles within the community.  Google is exploring the applicability of ARTS’ standards to their universe of technology and, John Collier, Walmart Vice President of Architecture, has recently been elected to the ARTS Board.

ARTS growth is not limited to the United States; the association has added many international companies to their membership base over the past year, including Morrison Supermarkets, founded in 1899 and now operating more than 455 store locations across the United Kingdom; and KESKO, a multi-national chain of stores based in Finland, selling food, home and specialty goods, as well as building and home improvement materials.

“ARTS membership growth  parallels the increasing business role of IT in retail, moving from records-keeping to driving the business through e-commerce, price optimization, CRM, business intelligence and a menu of other IT applications,” said Richard Mader, Executive Director of ARTS. “Our educational whitepapers and requests for proposals on leading edge technologies such as mobile, cloud computing and SOA are primary motivations for becoming a member.”

The Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS), a division of the National Retail Federation, is a retailer-driven international membership organization. ARTS was established in 1993 to develop best practices, technology standards and educational programs through collaboration and partnerships that will enable retailers, their vendors and suppliers to conduct business globally. ARTS standards, products and programs are dedicated to fostering innovation and increasing retailer efficiency.

As the world’s largest retail trade association and the voice of retail worldwide, NRF represents retailers of all types and sizes, including chain restaurants and industry partners, from the United States and more than 45 countries abroad. Retailers operate more than 3.6 million U.S. establishments that support one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.5 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy. NRF’s Retail Means Jobs campaign emphasizes the economic importance of retail and encourages policymakers to support a Jobs, Innovation and Consumer Value Agenda aimed at boosting economic growth and job creation. www.nrf.com

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