ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD><TITLE>The Retail Vantage</TITLE> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16544" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <P></P> <STYLE type=text/css> <!-- td { font: 8pt Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; } hr {height: 1px; color: #669BA0;} a { color: #0D719C; text-decoration: none; } a:hover { color: #0D719C; text-decoration: underline; } .headline { font: bold 15pt verdana; text-decoration: none; color: #256025; } .subhead { font: bold 10pt verdana; text-decoration: none; color: #ebebeb; } --> </STYLE> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=600 border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD colSpan=2><IMG height=112 src="http://image.exct.net/lib/ff021572766403/i/1/73706c90-d.jpg" width=600></TD></TR> <TR background="http://www.webolutions.com/armsys_images/grayline.gif"> <TD vAlign=top colSpan=2 height=23> <TABLE height=23 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" align=center background=http://www.webolutions.com/armsys_images/grayline.gif border=0><TBODY> <TR> <TD vAlign=center width="26%"> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD width=14> <CENTER></CENTER></TD> <TD width=28> <CENTER><IMG height=15 src="http://www.webolutions.com/armsys_images/forwardicon.gif" width=19> </CENTER></TD> <TD><A href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe24157675630c747c1671&amp;ls=fdec1078706000757214727c&amp;m=ff021572766403&amp;l=fe9815757065057f7d&amp;s=fdee1571716d007571137977&amp;jb=ffcf14&amp;t=">Forward to a Friend</A> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD> <TD vAlign=center width="39%"> <TABLE height=18 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY> <TR> <TD width=30 height=18> <CENTER><IMG height=18 src="http://www.webolutions.com/armsys_images/signupicon.gif" width=23> </CENTER></TD> <TD><A href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe23157675630c747c1672&amp;ls=fdec1078706000757214727c&amp;m=ff021572766403&amp;l=fe9815757065057f7d&amp;s=fdee1571716d007571137977&amp;jb=ffcf14&amp;t=">Sign up for our eNewsletter </A></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD> <TD vAlign=center width="35%" height=20> <DIV align=right> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" bgColor=#ffffff border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <P id=text-placeholder style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px" align=right><FONT face=Verdana size=2><STRONG>December 2007 </STRONG></FONT></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><IMG height=12 src="http://www.webolutions.com/armsys_images/blank.gif" width=12></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR> <TR> <TD vAlign=top width=138 background=http://image.exct.net/c6190155-f.gif> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width=130 border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD vAlign=top> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD vAlign=top align=middle> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px" align=center> <TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD><FONT face=Arial size=2><IMG id=image-placeholder style="WIDTH: 112px; HEIGHT: 33px" height=33 src="http://image.exct.net/4511334376660.jpg" width=112 border=0></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR> <TR> <TD class=subhead>In This Issue: </TD></TR> <TR> <TD> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> <P id=text-placeholder style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><FONT size=1><A title="Harder Sell, Softer Landing" href="#Sell" conversion="false" alias="Harder Sell, Softer Landing"><FONT face=verdana color=#ffffff size=1>Harder Sell, Softer Landing</A></FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><FONT size=1><A title="Tech Tips" href="#Tip" conversion="false" alias="Tech Tips"><FONT face=verdana color=#ffffff size=1>Tech Tips</A></FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><FONT size=1><A title="Retail SpotLight" href="#Spot" conversion="false" alias="Retail SpotLight"><FONT face=verdana color=#ffffff size=1>Retail SpotLight</A></FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><FONT size=1><A title="Meet Our Staff" href="#MOS" conversion="false" alias="Meet Our Staff"><FONT face=verdana color=#ffffff size=1>Meet Our Staff</A></FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><FONT size=1><A title="Black Friday Weekend Traffic" href="#Weekend%20" conversion="false" alias="Black Friday Weekend Traffic"><FONT face=verdana color=#ffffff size=1>Black Friday&nbsp;Weekend Traffic</A></FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><FONT size=1><A title="2007 Consumer Holiday Retail Spending" href="#Holiday" conversion="false" alias="2007 Consumer Holiday Retail Spending"><FONT face=verdana color=#ffffff size=1>2007 Consumer Holiday Retail Spending</A></FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">&nbsp;</P></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR> <TR> <TD> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD> <TABLE borderColor=#ffffff cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" bgColor=#1a80a6 border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD><FONT face=Arial size=2> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><FONT face="Arial Black" color=#ccffff>Quick Links:</FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><A title=Contact href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe22157675630c747c1673&amp;ls=fdec1078706000757214727c&amp;m=ff021572766403&amp;l=fe9815757065057f7d&amp;s=fdee1571716d007571137977&amp;jb=ffcf14&amp;t="><FONT face=Verdana color=#ffffff size=1>Contact</A></FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><A title="Request Training" href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe21157675630c747c1674&amp;ls=fdec1078706000757214727c&amp;m=ff021572766403&amp;l=fe9815757065057f7d&amp;s=fdee1571716d007571137977&amp;jb=ffcf14&amp;t="><FONT face=Verdana color=#ffffff size=1>Request Training</A></FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><A title="Request Demo" href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe20157675630c747c1675&amp;ls=fdec1078706000757214727c&amp;m=ff021572766403&amp;l=fe9815757065057f7d&amp;s=fdee1571716d007571137977&amp;jb=ffcf14&amp;t="><FONT face=Verdana color=#ffffff size=1>Request Demo</A></FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><A title="Referral Program" href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe1f157675630c747c1676&amp;ls=fdec1078706000757214727c&amp;m=ff021572766403&amp;l=fe9815757065057f7d&amp;s=fdee1571716d007571137977&amp;jb=ffcf14&amp;t="><FONT face=Verdana color=#ffffff size=1>Referral Program</A></FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><A title=Tradeshows href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe1e157675630c747c1677&amp;ls=fdec1078706000757214727c&amp;m=ff021572766403&amp;l=fe9815757065057f7d&amp;s=fdee1571716d007571137977&amp;jb=ffcf14&amp;t="><FONT face=Verdana color=#ffffff size=1>Trade Shows</A></FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><A title="Support Services" href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe1d157675630c747c1678&amp;ls=fdec1078706000757214727c&amp;m=ff021572766403&amp;l=fe9815757065057f7d&amp;s=fdee1571716d007571137977&amp;jb=ffcf14&amp;t="><FONT face=Verdana color=#ffffff size=1>Support Services</A></FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><A title="Order Consumables" href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe1c157675630c747c1679&amp;ls=fdec1078706000757214727c&amp;m=ff021572766403&amp;l=fe9815757065057f7d&amp;s=fdee1571716d007571137977&amp;jb=ffcf14&amp;t="><FONT face=Verdana color=#ffffff size=1>Order Consumables</A></FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><A title=Feedback href="mailto:customerservice@armsys.com?subject=News Brief Feedback" conversion="false" alias="Feedback"><FONT face=Verdana color=#ffffff size=1>Feedback</A></FONT></P></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD> <TD vAlign=top width=461> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width="100%" align=center border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD vAlign=top align=middle> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px" align=center> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" bgColor=#ffffff border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px" align=center><IMG id=image-placeholder title="Xmas Candle" src="http://image.exct.net/ee48c8e7-a.jpg" border=0 thid="1282186"></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR> <TR> <TD> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD> <TABLE style="BORDER-TOP-STYLE: solid; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: solid; BORDER-LEFT-STYLE: solid; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: solid" borderColor=#0066cc cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=12 width="100%" bgColor=#ffffff border=3> <TBODY> <TR> <TD style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> <P id=text-placeholder style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><B><FONT face=Verdana size=4><FONT color=#0099cc>Harder </FONT><A class=bookmark title=Sell style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" name=Sell><FONT color=#0099cc>Sell</FONT></A><FONT color=#0099cc>, Softer Landing</FONT></FONT></B></P> <P><B><I><FONT face=Verdana size=2>Web retailers are building out site features and planning heavy promotions to connect with online Christmas shoppers</FONT></I></B><FONT face=Verdana size=1><BR>By Mark Brohan </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana size=1>Retailers aren t expecting web shoppers to stuff as many stockings or arrange as many gifts under the tree this holiday shopping season. The prospect of softer sales is pushing merchants to think up better ways to drive site traffic and launch new promotions that can turn visitors into motivated Christmas shoppers, according to Internet Retailer s latest monthly survey.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana size=1>With the holiday shopping season already in high gear, the survey finds that web retailers are launching more promotions and increasing their spending on search engine marketing. Merchants are also busy updating their e-commerce sites with new features or functions and taking steps to improve performance and customer service all with an eye on snagging the Christmas buyer.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana size=1>Posting solid holiday sales is important to merchants regardless of size. The survey finds that 55.3% of retailers count on holiday gift purchases for more than 25% of their annual sales, including 9.1% where Christmas makes up 50% or more of yearly revenue. But unlike previous years when web-based holiday sales grew by about 25%, most retailers this season are anticipating softer results as consumers deal with high energy prices, the threat of a recession and a slumping housing market. The survey this one on holiday expectations and preparations reveals that 76.9% of retailers expect online Christmas sales to grow by 20% or less this year, including 33.8% by 10% or less and 17.7% by no more than 5%.</FONT></P> <P><B><I><FONT face=Verdana size=1>Early and often</FONT></I></B></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana size=1>For the remaining portion of the article, you may reach it by <A title="clicking here" href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe24157675630c747c1770&amp;ls=fdec1078706000757214727c&amp;m=ff021572766403&amp;l=fe9815757065057f7d&amp;s=fdee1571716d007571137977&amp;jb=ffcf14&amp;t=">clicking here</A>.</FONT></P> <P>&nbsp;</P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR> <TR> <TD> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" bgColor=#ffffff border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><FONT size=4><FONT color=#0099cc><STRONG><IMG id=image-placeholder title="Idea Man" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 10px" src="http://image.exct.net/6231306517422.jpg" align=right border=0 thid="755191"><FONT face=Verdana><FONT color=#0099cc>Tech </FONT><A class=bookmark title=Tip style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" name=Tip><FONT color=#0099cc>Tip</FONT></A><FONT color=#0099cc>s:</FONT></FONT></STRONG></FONT></FONT> <P><FONT face=Verdana size=2><STRONG>Did you Backup Your Software Today:</STRONG></FONT><FONT face=Verdana size=1>&nbsp;</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana size=1>We have several backup solutions:<BR></FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in"><FONT face=Symbol size=1>·<FONT style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></FONT><FONT face=Verdana size=1>Removable hard drives that the client trades out every day or so.&nbsp; Uses batch files that run form Rpro scheduler (or some other scheduler) to simply copy files from Rpro / BW to the removable hard drive into folder named for the day of the week.&nbsp; This method provides 2 weeks of backups and the ability to easily replace single files or whole folders in Windows Explorer.&nbsp; It is usually scheduled to occur at night, but not during polling or any other Rpro functions.</FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in"><FONT face=Symbol size=1>·<FONT style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></FONT><FONT face=Verdana size=1>Tape backups are more troublesome.&nbsp; We have set them up in the past, but have shied away from this option for about a year now.&nbsp; Backup program is usually Veritas or as provided by the tape drive manufacturer.</FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in"><FONT face=Symbol size=1>·<FONT style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></FONT><FONT face=Verdana size=1>External backup drives are usually SUB&lt; AND require PNP OS s and hardware.&nbsp; This is becoming the backup of choice, and works very similar to the removable hard drive backup system.</FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in"><FONT face=Symbol size=1>·<FONT style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></FONT><FONT face=Verdana size=1>Rpro provides the safeguard backup system, which simply zips up key data files into the Rpro folder.&nbsp; Okay to have in a pinch, but not an adequate primary backup system</FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in"><FONT face=Symbol size=1>·<FONT style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></FONT><FONT face=Verdana size=1>The magical backup fairy which is the backup that clients look for when their hard drive on the main master has exploded, and they haven t done a backup in over 2 years (when they were on V6).&nbsp; Apparently only ARMS has access to this type of backup system, which is why clients call tech support for their backups.<BR></FONT></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR> <TR> <TD> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px" align=center></P> <TABLE style="BORDER-TOP-STYLE: solid; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: solid; BORDER-LEFT-STYLE: solid; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: solid" borderColor=#0066cc cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=12 width="100%" bgColor=#ffffff border=3> <TBODY> <TR> <TD style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px" align=left><FONT size=4><STRONG><FONT color=#0099cc>Retail </FONT><A class=bookmark title=Spot style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" name=Spot><FONT color=#0099cc>Spot</FONT></A><FONT color=#0099cc>Light</FONT></STRONG></FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px" align=center>&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px" align=center>&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px" align=center>&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px" align=center><IMG id=image-placeholder title="Ptarmigan Sports" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10px" src="http://image.exct.net/06047e3d-6.jpg" border=0 thid="1281210"></P> <P id=text-placeholder style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px" align=center>&nbsp;<FONT color=#0066cc size=3><STRONG>Ptarmigan Sports</STRONG></FONT></P> <P align=left><FONT size=1>Steve Lincks opened Ptarmigan Sports in July 1998.&nbsp; Ptarmigan Sports has been in the same location in Edwards CO for all of their 9 years in business. Steve is the sole proprietor of this outdoor adventure store.&nbsp; Combining his lifestyle as an avid outdoorsman and 12 years of industry experience, Steve opened Ptarmigan Sports with 1,850 square feet of selling space and then it grew to 3,000 square feet of selling space.</FONT></P> <P align=left><FONT size=1>Ptarmigan Sports does more than sell product. They support a lifestyle that so many people in the Colorado Mountains and those who visit enjoy. </FONT></P> <P align=left><FONT size=1>Advanced Retail Management Systems is pleased to have Ptarmigan Sports as a Retail Pro client since 1998.&nbsp; Their first version of Retail Pro was Version 6.51.&nbsp; In the past few months they upgraded to Version 8.52.&nbsp; Regarding the changes Steve stated, "it is super easy to train new employees."&nbsp; For Steve the biggest thing is the ease of reports and the reporting capabilities within Retail Pro Version 8.52.&nbsp; If you are in the Vail Edwards area of Colorado whether it is winter or not, Ptarmigan Sports requires a visit.&nbsp; Check them out at </FONT><A href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe23157675630c747c1771&amp;ls=fdec1078706000757214727c&amp;m=ff021572766403&amp;l=fe9815757065057f7d&amp;s=fdee1571716d007571137977&amp;jb=ffcf14&amp;t="><FONT size=1>www.ptarmigansports.com</FONT></A>.<BR></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR> <TR> <TD> <TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" bgColor=#ffffff border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><IMG id=image-placeholder title=Andrea style="BORDER-LEFT-COLOR: #000000; BORDER-BOTTOM-COLOR: #000000; MARGIN: 0px 10px 5px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; BORDER-TOP-COLOR: #000000; HEIGHT: 175px; BORDER-RIGHT-COLOR: #000000" height=175 alt=Andrea src="http://image.exct.net/532086fb-d.JPG" width=150 align=left thid="1287194"> <P><FONT face=Verdana size=4><STRONG><FONT color=#0099cc>Meet </FONT><A class=bookmark title=Our style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" name=Our><FONT color=#0099cc>Our</FONT></A><FONT color=#0099cc> Staff</FONT></STRONG></FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana><FONT size=1><STRONG><FONT face=Verdana size=2><FONT size=1>Andrea Ellerbrock,</FONT> <BR><FONT size=1>Senior Sales Consultant</FONT></FONT><FONT face=Verdana>&nbsp;</FONT></STRONG></P> <P style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in"><FONT face=Verdana>Andrea is starting her fourth year with Advanced Retail Management Systems. In the first 2 years she was a key player in ARMS becoming a successful Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Systems dealer.&nbsp; From Andrea s sales efforts ARMS has the distinction of reaching Microsoft s President s Club. In the early part of 2007 Andrea also began selling Retail Pro. She has duplicated that success again. </FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in"><FONT face=Verdana>Andrea is a Colorado native and graduated from Colorado State University (Go Rams)!! She enjoys the outdoor lifestyle that Colorado offers and during her free time you will find her rollerblading, water/snow skiing, and <FONT color=#000000>kickboxing.</FONT> </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana>Andrea is a sales professional with 8 years experience in the telecom industry. She also has experience with E-Commerce marketing for small business and has also received her Paralegal certification. Her broad education and business experience give her the ability to relate to a variety of business needs. During her time selling Microsoft Dynamics RMS and Retail Pro Andrea has met a large variety of new clients, and she enjoys the challenges and rewards associated with providing them a Point of Sale/Inventory Control solution. <BR></FONT></FONT></FONT></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR> <TR> <TD></TD></TR> <TR> <TD> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD> <TABLE style="BORDER-TOP-STYLE: solid; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: solid; BORDER-LEFT-STYLE: solid; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: solid" borderColor=#0066cc cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=12 width="100%" bgColor=#ffffff border=3> <TBODY> <TR> <TD style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><STRONG><FONT color=#0099cc size=4>Black <FONT color=#0099cc>Friday </FONT><A class=bookmark title="Weekend " style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" name=Weekend%20><FONT color=#0099cc>Weekend </FONT></A><FONT color=#0099cc>Traffic up 4.8 Percent </FONT>as Consumers Shop for Smaller Ticket Items </FONT></STRONG></SPAN></P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN><SPAN> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><BR><FONT face=Verdana size=1>For Immediate Release <BR>Contact: Kathy Grannis (202) 821-7513 or Scott Krugman (202) 299-6721 <BR>Email: grannisk@nrf.com or krugmans@nrf.com <BR>Black Friday Weekend Traffic up 4.8 Percent as Consumers<BR><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">&nbsp;Shop for Smaller Ticket Items</SPAN><BR></FONT></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><FONT size=1>--More Shoppers Helps Make Up for Lower Consumer Expenditures--<BR><BR>Washington, November 25, 2007 - If there were any doubts that consumers would be shopping in full force over Black Friday, they have finally been put to rest. According to the National Retail Federation's 2007 Black Friday Weekend Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, more than 147 million shoppers hit the stores on Black Friday weekend, up a solid 4.8 percent from last year. <BR><BR>Consumers spent an average of $347.44*, down 3.5 percent from last year, but still up an incredibly strong 14.8 percent from 2005. Retailers made up for the lower average expenditure with increased traffic.<BR><BR>"While last year showed a greater emphasis on high-definition televisions, this year consumers were focused on lower priced doorbusters like digital photo frames, laptops and cashmere sweaters," said NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin. "Though Black Friday weekend was a complete success for many retailers, the results of the holiday season won't be determined until the last two weeks of December."<BR><BR>Black Friday was marked with retailers opening their doors earlier than ever, with some choosing to start their sales as early as midnight. This strategy appeared to pay off as 14.3 percent of consumers were out shopping before 4:00 AM, compared to 12.4 percent last year.<BR><BR>Men once again proved to be the better Black Friday customer. With a greater emphasis on door-buster specials in the consumer electronics category, men outspent women $393.63 to $303.95.<BR><BR>"Knowing that consumers would be challenged by the current economic environment, retailers hoped that higher traffic would offset lower individual spending, which it did," said Phil Rist, Vice President of Strategy for BIGresearch. "With consumers expecting retailers to be more promotional on Cyber Monday, the holiday season is off to a good start."<BR><BR>Though discounters saw a dip in traffic last year, they rebounded nicely this year as 55.1 percent of shoppers visited discount stores, up from 49.6 percent in 2006. Consumers also shopped in traditional department stores (38.7%), specialty retailers (43.2%) and online (31.6%). <BR><BR>The most popular items purchased were clothing or clothing accessories (46.8%) as well as books, CDs, DVDs, videos or video games (41.7%). Other purchases this weekend included consumer electronics (35.7%), toys (28.2%), and gift cards (21.0%).<BR><BR>As of Sunday, November 26, the average person has completed 36.4 percent of their holiday shopping, showing virtually no change from last year. Only one in 12 consumers (8.2%) has finished their holiday shopping.<BR><BR>NRF continues to project that holiday sales will rise 4.0 percent this year to $474.5 billion.&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp; <BR>More article information, </FONT><A title="click here." href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe22157675630c747c1772&amp;ls=fdec1078706000757214727c&amp;m=ff021572766403&amp;l=fe9815757065057f7d&amp;s=fdee1571716d007571137977&amp;jb=ffcf14&amp;t="><FONT size=1>click here.</FONT></A></SPAN></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN><FONT face=Verdana size=1></FONT>&nbsp;</P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR> <TR> <TD></TD></TR> <TR> <TD> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" bgColor=#ffffff border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <P id=text-placeholder style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><FONT face=Verdana><FONT size=4><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT color=#0099cc>2007 Consumer </FONT><A class=bookmark title=Holiday style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" name=Holiday><FONT color=#0099cc>Holiday</FONT></A><FONT color=#0099cc> Retail Spending</FONT></SPAN></B></FONT></FONT></P> <P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><FONT face=Verdana>From </FONT><A href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe21157675630c747c1773&amp;ls=fdec1078706000757214727c&amp;m=ff021572766403&amp;l=fe9815757065057f7d&amp;s=fdee1571716d007571137977&amp;jb=ffcf14&amp;t="><FONT face=Verdana>Melody Vargas</FONT></A><FONT face=Verdana>,<BR>Your Guide to </FONT><A href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe20157675630c747c1774&amp;ls=fdec1078706000757214727c&amp;m=ff021572766403&amp;l=fe9815757065057f7d&amp;s=fdee1571716d007571137977&amp;jb=ffcf14&amp;t="><FONT face=Verdana>Retail Industry</FONT> </A><FONT face=Verdana>.<BR><B>FREE</B> Newsletter. </FONT><A href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe1f157675630c747c1775&amp;ls=fdec1078706000757214727c&amp;m=ff021572766403&amp;l=fe9815757065057f7d&amp;s=fdee1571716d007571137977&amp;jb=ffcf14&amp;t="><FONT face=Verdana>Sign Up Now!</FONT></A></SPAN></P> <P id=text-placeholder style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><FONT face=Verdana><B><FONT size=5><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">Annual Holiday Retail Guide for 2007</SPAN></FONT></B> </FONT></P> <P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT face=Verdana size=1>Consumer spending accounts for about two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, so how are U.S. retailers weathering the 2007 holiday season? </FONT></SPAN></P> <P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT face=Verdana size=1>According to the National Retail Federation (NRF) 2007 Black Friday Weekend Survey, Black Friday foot traffic in stores was up 4.8 percent from last year. The NRF estimates that consumers spent an average of $347.44 over Black Friday weekend, with men outspending women $393.63 to $303.95, primarily due to larger ticket purchases of consumer electronics, particularly door buster specials. </FONT></SPAN></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><FONT face=Verdana><FONT size=1><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Where Consumers Shopped Black Friday Weekend</SPAN></B> <BR></FONT></FONT><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT face=Verdana size=1>" Discount stores 55.1% <BR>" Specialty stores 43.2% <BR>" Department stores 38.7% <BR>" Online 31.6% </FONT></SPAN></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN>&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><FONT face=Verdana><FONT size=1><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Most Popular Items Purchased Black Friday Weekend</SPAN></B> <BR></FONT></FONT><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT face=Verdana size=1>" Clothing and accessories 46.8% <BR>" Books, CDs, DVDs, Videos and Video Games 41.7% <BR>" Consumer electronics 35.7% <BR>" Toys 28.2% <BR>" Gift cards 21.0%</FONT></SPAN></P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN>&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT face=Verdana size=1>For the remainder of the article, please <A title="click here. 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