NRF

Washington, D.C. -- Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to be up 8% in January over the same month last year, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by NRF and Hackett Associates.

At this year’s NRF show, Peter LaFond, Walmart’s marketing director for online media and smart network, showcased how his company utilizes its in-store video network to deliver targeted, relevant messages to its customers.

Boston -- Retailers identified mobile POS technologies as a quickly emerging trend, with more than half planning to launch mobile solutions within the next two years, according to Boston Retail Partner’s 12th Annual POS Survey.

Kansas City, Kan. -- Zave Networks announced Wednesday an agreement with IBM to collaborate on a digital-incentive solution designed to provide coupon shoppers with an easier way to cash in on savings at the supermarket.

Under the agreement, Zave Networks’ Zavers digital incentive and information management platform will be deployed with IBM’s SurePOS ACE retail application, significantly reducing the time, complexity, and retailer IT resource requirements for launching a digital coupon program.

NEW YORK - The retail industry descended upon the Javitz Center in New York City this week for the National Retail Federation’s 100th Big Show, and despite the tough economy, the general mood of the show was one of optimism and excitement. 

Addressing the packed auditorium before Monday’s super sessions, NRF president and CEO Matt Shay said. “There are very few organizations that enjoy the stature of retail, very few businesses that contribute more to the local economy.”

Retailers at NRF’s convention this week got a citing of Bill Fields, a former Walmart executive who spent 25 years with the company serving in various roles from 1971 to 1996. Today Fields is chairman of a group called China Horizon, a joint venture with the Chinese postal service charged with helping to develop retail and consumption in rural China, and it was the topic of China that Fields addressed during the super session: “Making the retail business dynamic,” sponsored by Microsoft.

New York City -- Microsoft Corp. announced that Bill Gonzalez, general manager of its worldwide distribution and services sector, has been elected to the associate member advisory council for the board of directors of the National Retail Federation. The announcement was made at the NRF Annual Convention & EXPO in New York.

PLANO, Texas - JCPenney announced that, for the third consecutive year, it was ranked number one among department store retailers in the Customers' Choice survey released by the NRF Foundation and American Express.

Plano, Texas -- J.C. Penney announced that, for the third consecutive year, it was ranked No. 1 among department store retailers in the Customers' Choice survey released by the NRF Foundation and American Express.

Zappos.com took top honors in the sixth annual NRF Foundation/American Express Customers' Choice Survey, whose results were released at the National Retail Federation's Annual Convention and Expo in New York City. The survey, conducted by BIGresearch, is designed to gauge consumer attitudes toward retailers' customer service and provide a list of the retailer that offer the best customer service (as judged by consumers).

The Top 10 retailers in the ranking were: