News

Metro AG to reveal '`store of future' at NRFtech

July 22, 2003

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Retailer Metro AG will illustrate how emerging technologies will shape the future of the consumer shopping experience at the NRFtech 2003: Information Technology Leadership Summit, Aug. 10-12, 2003 at the Hilton San Diego (California) Resort.

Metro AG Chief Information Officer Zygmunt Mierdorf will discuss the new technologies and how they will affect the retail marketplace on Tuesday, Aug. 12.

Metro AG, a $54-billion retailer, has been an innovator in employing a combination of wireless equipment and radio frequency identification technology that promises a boost in store efficiency, micro-marketing and the end of long checkout lines, according to a news release.

Mierdorf will talk about wireless-controlled price displays, smart shelves that know when to restock, handheld scanners to track what's in the store, and shopping carts with a touchscreen that enables automatic checkout as well as providing directions to desired products.

This invitation-only summit of CIOs and industry leaders will also include in-depth discussions and planning sessions that will help determine what the future has in store for retail technology capabilities.

The National Retail Federation is organizing the event. NRF is the world's largest retail trade association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet and independent stores, as well as the industry's key trading partners of retail goods and services.