CompUSA selects Activant Eagle software as its business management and point-of-sale (POS) platform. A subsidiary of Systemax, CompUSA recently introduced its Retail 2.0 initiative to merge the best of the online experience with bricks and mortar shopping, making the Web available to CompUSA shoppers literally at arms' length throughout the stores. Retail 2.0 and the addition of Activant's software has helped manage CompUSA's retail transactions and customer experience and is a critical element of the initiative going forward.

Making inventory more accessible to customers is the key to CompUSA’s strategy. Customers can research products on hundreds of Internet-enabled screens throughout the individual stores. The storewide Internet connectivity, which makes a wealth of product and price information available to both customers and CompUSA team members, is central to the Retail 2.0 concept and will be enabled by the Activant Eagle solution.

"In order for us to change the way people shop for consumer electronics, technology and computer services with our revolutionary Retail 2.0 concept, it was important for us to have the right technology partner," says Terry Perrin, president of CompUSA. "Right out of the box, the Activant Eagle solution is a complete retail solution capable of performing everything from the basic retail functions to our most complicated processes. Activant's large network of support professionals was also an important factor for us as we continue to grow and open stores across the U.S."

"Activant's ability to get the system up and running quickly was a key factor in our decision. Their flexibility and product breadth gave them the lead in the final analysis. I don't think anyone else could have met that need," says Perrin.

Weekends Only, a furniture outlet store offering special buys, closeouts and truckload purchases, selects Store Ops-Center as its Web-based retail communication portal.

Prior to selecting Opterus, Weekends Only used traditional e-mail for its store communications. This led to numerous problems including:

- Knowing which Weekends Only employees actually read the email and then took the required action

- Managing all the mailboxes and distribution lists within the stores

- Protecting privacy issues communicated via email

- The lack of accountability as to who was responsible for completing an assigned task

"The compression of store open hours exacerbates the normal communication flow between corporate and stores," says Dionne Dumitru, COO, Weekends Only. "Communicating effectively with the stores prior to opening on Fridays was often a challenge. The workflow tools in Store Ops-Center are well-suited to direct the required communications to the right parties, and ensure there is a clear understanding of who does what. We are really looking forward to the functionality provided through Store Ops-Center."

Ms. Dumitru adds, "Opterus is an elegant solution that will help us be inclusive with all users at our stores. We are excited about the opportunities that Store Ops-Center offers us because we will now know that communications are reaching the right person and we will get the crucial feedback that the task is complete and we're ready for our customers."