Casual Male improves customer experience with NSB Connected Retailer Store and CRM
Largest US retailer of big and tall men`s apparel to provide the ultimate shopping experience with mobile in-store CRM from the NSB Group on Symbol Technologies` Enterprise Digital Assistant
Montreal, Canada, September 8, 2005 - NSB and Casual Male Retail Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:NMS "CMRG") are pleased to announce that the leading national retailer of men`s big and tall apparel has commenced piloting NSB`s Connected Retailer® Store and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions on Symbol Technologies` (NYSE:SBL) MC50 Enterprise Digital Assistants (EDA). The innovative mobile computing solution, co-developed by Casual Male Retail Group (CMRG) and NSB, will provide Casual Male sales associates with a better understanding of their clients` needs and preferences across the 500-store chain. This is the first implementation of mobile CRM technology in the North American retail industry.
In keeping with their commitment to provide the ultimate shopping experience and personalized service for guests, Casual Male wanted their associates to be able to review and update their clients` information - such as collar sizes and pant lengths - while serving them in-store. The NSB POS software resides at the head office and is connected to the stores via Casual Male`s satellite networks. Sales associates can query the CRM database, which is updated in real time, to learn more about their customers by viewing contact and address information, clothing sizes, personal preferences (for example, favorite football team), previous transactions, and returns. Eventually, as Casual Male fully implements NSB`s CRM solution and a comprehensive loyalty program, sales associates will be prompted by various sales triggers based on each customer`s loyalty status and previous shopping trends.
"We want to provide better, more personalized service to our customers," says Dennis Hernreich, CFO for CMRG. "By giving our associates the tools they need to interact more knowledgeably with our customers right up front in the shopping process, we should improve the overall customer experience in the stores. Sales associates will be able to suggest products based on known shopping habits and preferences, and update shopper profiles as they serve the customer. Ultimately, our success with NSB`s solution on Symbol`s Enterprise Digital Assistant will provide us with a consumer-oriented platform that enables better conversion rates in our stores and enhanced customer retention, which in turn will result in a lift in sales and additional gross margin for the business."
Leo Rabinovitch, Senior Vice President of CRM adds, "In today`s customer-centric society, consumers expect the best service. NSB continues to help forward-thinking retailers like Casual Male Retail Group to provide this service through our innovative CRM and Store technology."
To run the NSB wireless solution in their stores, Casual Male is using Symbol`s MC50 Enterprise Digital Assistant with integrated wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) connectivity based on the Intel® XScale(tm) 520 Mhz processor and Microsoft® Windows Mobile(tm) 2003 Second Edition operating system. "Symbol`s MC50 Enterprise Digital Assistant provides a multi-functional tool for retailers to capture, move, and manage information at the point of activity," said Mark Self, Vice President of Symbol`s Retail Solutions Group. "With its durable design and integrated features, the MC50 is designed to increase productivity and efficiency, while improving customer responsiveness and satisfaction."
Jon Stine, Worldwide Retail and Consumer Products Industry Sales Development Manager for Intel, adds, "Retailers strive to distinguish themselves within a crowded, competitive market. NSB`s solution, running on Intel-based processors, is a great example of how mobile technology can push critical information to the decision making edge, to provide a better shopping experience for customers and increase employee productivity."
"The Microsoft Smarter Retailing Initiative provides valuable insight into a retailer`s customers and the business itself," says Brian Scott, vice president of the Retail & Hospitality Industry Solutions Group at Microsoft. "This NSB solution, based on the Microsoft .NET platform, is Smarter Retailing in action. Casual Male can build customer loyalty by providing personalized service with the latest mobile, wireless technology offerings."
NSB`s Connected Retailer Store Solution is a comprehensive and innovative store automation system that delivers enhanced multichannel retailing capabilities, improved employee productivity, and increased levels of customer service. The solution continually evolves in anticipation of market trends, and enables retailers to respond rapidly to changing business needs, ensuring reduced total cost of ownership. Connected Retailer Customer Relationship Management Solution provides all the tools retailers need to capture, manage, analyze, and use customer information to enhance the shopping experience - whether customers shop in-store, online, or via catalog.
About Casual Male Retail Group, Inc.
CMRG is the largest retailer of big and tall men`s apparel, with retail operations throughout the United States, Canada and London. The company operates 496 Casual Male Big & Tall stores, 13 Casual Male at Sears-Canada stores, 22 Rochester Big and Tall stores, and a direct to consumer business which includes catalog and two e-commerce sites. CMRG is headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts and its common stock is listed on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol "CMRG."
About NSB Group
NSB Group is a total solutions provider for retailers of apparel, footwear, and specialty merchandise. In addition to one-stop shopping for feature-rich products to enhance all key areas of the retail enterprise, we offer hardware and comprehensive client services - from consulting and development to implementation and 24/7 support.
NSB`s acclaimed Connected Retailer® suite includes retail planning, merchandising, sourcing and product development, CRM, sales analytics, store operations, and POS. Backed by more than 30 years of success, we work as partners with our clients to map clear paths from where they are to where they`d like to be, and we equip them to get there. For more information about the NSB Group and the Connected Retailer®, visit our website at www.nsbgroup.com.
2005 NSB Retail Solutions Inc. Connected Retailer, NSB, NSB logos, and certain other marks are trademarks or service marks of NSB Retail Solutions Inc. or another NSB company. All other trademarks are owned by their respective companies.
For more information
Candice DeLuca, Public Relations Manager, 400 Venture Drive, Lewis Center, Ohio 43035 (USA). Email: cdeluca@nsbgroup.com. Phone: (614) 840-1448. Fax: (514) 426-0824.
Tracy Fairchild, Director of Communications, 2800 Trans-Canada Highway, Pointe-Claire, Quebec H9R 1B1 (Canada). Email: tfairchild@nsbgroup.com. Phone: (514) 426-0822. Fax: (514) 426-0824.
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