Greetings from Denver!

I have had a spectacular first couple of weeks at Forrester, as the newest addition to the Retail research team, and I can't tell you how excited I am to dig in to the long list of topics I want to explore. So I thought I'd take this opportunity to introduce myself, tell you some of the things I'm thinking about, and let you know where to find me in the next month.

So, first things first. My name is Nikki Baird, and I've knocked around in retail for a while now -- first in stores (yes, I was a blue-light special girl at Kmart -- my first job!), then later in consulting (PwC Consulting, now IBM), and most recently in software solutions (Viewlocity and StorePerform). My complete bio is now online, and my first document is coming soon.

Which brings me to some things I've been thinking about. My research agenda hasn't been finalized yet, but I've got a lot of topics swirling around in my head, and from what I've been seeing, so do you. A sample:

• Execution. There's been a lot of talk lately about optimization technologies and what they can do for retail, but these solutions are putting a lot of pressure on stores to execute these sophisticated and increasingly detailed plans. My first document is a Quick Take on how that's affecting promotions -- look for it very soon!

• In-store analytics. The idea that retailers should be using local data to take action on in-store conditions in real time at the local level keeps surfacing. This is interesting, given that there's also a push to reduce the amount of hardware in stores through thin-client POS implementations. What's driving this trend, and what should retailers be considering to get value from in-store analytics? CRM and loyalty? Loss prevention? Stock-out prevention? I'll be tackling this topic next quarter, so stay tuned!

• Digital signage and in-store marketing. What a hot topic! It seems like ever since Frito-Lay announced that it would be shifting some of its advertising spend to Wal-Mart's in-store TV network, everyone -- including me -- has been taking a second look at digital signage and what it can do for retail. If you're not Wal-Mart, is it worth the investment? What kind of return can you expect, and how do you measure it -- and is this something you should open up to suppliers to advertise on, or should you control all of the content?

• And there are a few more things, too. Why is it taking so long for in-store wireless networks to take hold? Is it a hardware issue? A rollout issue? Who's doing it well, and what can you learn from them? Along with in-store wireless, will RFID make it to the shelf anytime soon, and what will retailers have to do to convince consumers that it's a good idea? Also, a lot of retailers have made the initial effort to push portals to stores for employee self-service. What's next for store portals? And with all this talk about "targeted advertising" and the potential for integrating mobile phones into buying decisions -- whether through receiving promotions or using phones to pay -- how are these devices really going to be used in a retail environment, and what are the privacy implications? These are just a few of the things I'm thinking about while lying in bed late at night.

Research Referenced In This Issue Choosing The Right Point-Of-Sale Migration Path (36612) Getting The Most Out Of Retail Loyalty Programs (36180) RFID: The Complete Guide (36549)    The Price Of Point-Of-Sale Customer Data (36493)

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