Associations

Top marketers at Neiman Marcus and Home depot were among a group of marketing executives recognized by the CMO Club this week.

The CMO Club, established to celebrate the marketing industry's brightest leaders and to provide a forum to share their successes with other CMOs, determined four winners in various categories.

The Retail Design Institute, the oldest and largest association for design professionals, and Chain Store Age, the leading authority on retail operations and producer of the annual SPECS conference, are partnering on the Institute’s 45th Annual International Store Design Competition.

The National Retail Federation and the Retail Industry Leaders Association are aligned with the nation’s top law enforcement agency in an effort to ensure consumers have access to the most secure payment methods.

The FBI has released an official advisory warning consumers that EMV-compliant cards are still vulnerable to fraud and PIN authentication is the best means to prevent personal data theft. According to the FBI. EMV cards can still be counterfeited with stolen card data obtained on the black market.

Chip-and-signature credit cards without a PIN won’t stop data breaches, at least not according to the National Retail Federation.

Although the new U.S. mandate for EMV-compliant chip-and-signature payment cards is now in effect, the NRF on Oct. 7 told Congress that new chip-and-signature credit cards without a PIN will not stop data breaches. What’s more, small businesses should not be pressured to install the equipment to accept them at the expense of more effective technology, according to the organization.

The National Retail Federation has formed a Digital Council to focus on the e-commerce, mobile and innovative initiatives that exist within the retail industry today.

The members-only council, powered by NRF’s Shop.org digital division, will support and promote collaboration in efforts like the exchange of information on digital retail trends and strategies, the development of original research, and educational events and advocacy opportunities in Washington, D.C.

A.R.E. (Association for Retail Environments) and POPAI (Point of Purchase Advertising International) have merged. The new association, which will be renamed in the coming months, creates one industry association representing all of the companies that provide end –‐to –‐end products and services for retail store environments and customer experiences.

The National Retail Federation has formed a new entity to enhance the strategic value of NRF and the e-commerce, mobile and innovative initiatives that exist within the retail industry.

The members-only Digital Council, powered by NRF’s Shop.org digital division, will support and promote collaboration on digital retail trends and strategies, the development of original research, and educational events and advocacy opportunities in Washington, D.C.

The National Retail Federation and e-digital consultancy FitforCommerce have launched a first-of-its-kind Omnichannel Retail Index to help retailers benchmark against industry best practices.