ShopperTrak's Annual Users Group Conference Showcases The Retail Industry's Reliance On Traffic Data

In mid-July, representatives from 44 leading retail companies gathered in Chicago to absorb information and share best practices regarding the metric that has become universally accepted as critical to effectively analyzing store performance: traffic data.

The sixth annual ShopperTrak Users Group Conference, hosted and chaired by the world's leading provider of retail traffic intelligence solutions and services, provided a forum to openly discuss the most successful ways to take advantage of shoppers entering their stores and the strategies applied to optimize performance based on traffic intelligence. Users Group attendees also used round table discussions and keynote presentations to discuss the steps used to gain higher conversion rates using traffic across a network of stores, ultimately equaling higher revenue and stronger margins throughout.

Highlighting the event were candid testimonials from retailers:

• Chico's – Dennis Mansfield, store controller
• Best Buy Mobile – Brent Babcock, director
• VF Corporation – Brendan Sullivan, VP, Retail Services
• Ashley Stewart for Urban Brands – Tracy Benaman, senior director of Store Operations

While several key traffic initiatives and tactics were discussed during each one-hour presentation, three key themes arose from these discussions, including:

• A successful traffic measurement program starts with the executive management team clearly understanding the process.
• The critical need for a retailer to implement traffic data into the workforce management program to assure it's scheduling to the opportunity entering the store.
• How to use traffic to elevate shoppers to the most important asset in your store.

Additionally, Users Group participants heard from key retail analysts who discussed the current state of the economy and its impact on retailers, and the challenges the industry could face with adjusting offerings for an aging population. Keynote analysts included:

• Morningstar – R.J. Hottovy, CFA
• Indiana University's Kelley School of Business – Raymond R. Burke, professor of Business Administration
• University of Chicago – Erik Hurst, GSB professor of Economics

Bill Martin, co-founder of ShopperTrak, said the open forum and information provided by retailers and industry experts was invaluable.

"In the sixth year of this event we continue to gain unprecedented insight into the myriad ways traffic is utilized and implemented by our clients from around the world," he said. "This frank dialogue over a two-day period not only provides fellow retailers with a sounding board to discuss all things traffic, but also arms us with additional knowledge to develop solutions and services that help them deal with both current and potential challenges related to day-to-day operations." Martin continued: "Over the past several years we've seen this dialogue among our clients expand far beyond the Users Group event, creating a traffic ‘community' that consistently interacts with ShopperTrak and other event participants throughout the year, which points to the importance of this metric in today's retail landscape."

Because of this growing traffic community, ShopperTrak plans to hold six additional Users Group briefings in select cities throughout the year and is creating an online network for event participants to continue this dialogue throughout the year.

A privately held entity, ShopperTrak leverages 20 years of retail expertise to be the industry's authority for information and analysis of shopper traffic in retail environments. ShopperTrak's cutting-edge tracking products and indices offer retail intelligence solutions that enable companies to better understand retail trends and the impact of store and staff performance on company revenues. With more than 50,000 units installed in the world's best known retail outlets and malls, the company's solutions also provide a proven means for retailers to gauge labor efficiencies, advertising and marketing efforts, store design and remodeling programs, merchandise changes, associate training programs, and other budget-intensive strategic initiatives.

About ShopperTrak RCT Corporation
Chicago-based ShopperTrak RCT Corp., a privately held entity, is the world's leading provider of traffic-based intelligence to the retail, gaming, hospitality and financial services industries. Its products and information reporting, including the Orbit counting system, the National Retail Sales Estimate™ (NRSE), the ShopperTrak Retail Traffic Index (SRTI), and other tools, give clients the data they need to make more effective business decisions. ShopperTrak operates seven offices in the United States and has international distribution in over 70 countries around the globe.

SOURCE: ShopperTrak RCT Corporation