Parker Avery Newsroom

2013

The Parker Avery Group to Sponsor the 17th Annual Terry J. Lundgren Center Global Retailing Conference

Atlanta, GA – March 8, 2013 – The Parker Avery Group is pleased to announce it will Sponsor the 17th annual Global Retailing Conference, held at at the fantastic Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona, from April 11 - 12, 2013.

This year's theme, Accelerate Your Brand – Get Ahead of Your Shopper, will focus on new ways businesses are engaging customers and encouraging advocacy. By using tools such as digital advancements, marketing strategies, and consumer behavior studies, retailing companies have a better understanding on how to communicate with their customers.

The Terry J. Lundgren Center Global Retailing Conference features an expert lineup of CEOs, Cutting-edge Retail Technologists, Brand Strategists, and Thought Leaders who share winning strategies, retail trends, and a global outlook. editors of Women's Wear Daily (WWD) will assemble the titans of the industry for a two-day summit focusing on leadership. Attended by 250+ apparel and retail presidents and CEOs, the conference is designed to inspire and provoke, offering unique perspectives from those who are successfully realizing their visions in an ever-changing landscape.

Speakers include: Terry J. Lundgren, Chairman, President & CEO of Macy's Inc; Tory Burch, CEO & Founder of Tory Burch; Jim Sinegal, Co-Founder & Former CEO of Costco; Tony Spring, President & COO of Bloomingdale's; Bonnie Brooks, President of The Hudson Bay Company; and Wanda Young, VP of Walmart.

For more information regarding the 2013 Global Retailing Conference, please visit: http://globalretailingconference.org

The Parker Avery Group to Sponsor the WWD Apparel & Retail CEO Summit

New York, NY and Atlanta, GA – January 3, 2012 –The Parker Avery Group is pleased to announce it will Sponsor the WWD Apparel & Retail CEO Summit, held at New York City's iconic Plaza Hotel, from January 7 - 8, 2013.

Attendance at the WWD Apparel & Retail CEO Summit is limited to CEOs and Presidents in the apparel and retail industry. This meeting, peer-to-peer in nature, is designed to offer a forum for industry leaders to access focused business intelligence on the critical issues of the day, gain a sense of future issues and direction, and hear case studies and real solutions from CEOs both inside and outside the industry. It also offers a high-level networking opportunity to exchange ideas and establish creative partnerships.

The editors of Women's Wear Daily (WWD) will assemble the titans of the industry for a two-day summit focusing on leadership. Attended by 250+ apparel and retail presidents and CEOs, the conference is designed to inspire and provoke, offering unique perspectives from those who are successfully realizing their visions in an ever-changing landscape.

Topics will Include:
• The Changing Face of Commerce
• The Future of China
• Designers + Brands—Striking the Right Balance
• The Inversion of Influence
• Rethinking Leadership for the 21st Century
• And More

Among the roster of CEOs set to speak are Ron Johnson of J.C. Penney Co. Inc.; Emanuel Chirico of PVH Corp.; Andrew Rosen of Theory; J. Christopher Burch of C. Wonder, and David Dyer of Chico's FAS Inc. There is also a strong lineup of designers, including Marc Jacobs, who will be the dinner speaker Monday night; Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler, and Karl Lagerfeld.

For more information regarding the WWD Apparel & Retail CEO Summit, please visit: http://www.wwd.com/media/summits/apparel2012/index.html

2012

Parker Avery Launches New Blog 'Retail Advisor,' Offering Retailing Best Practices

ATLANTA, GA – November 15, 2012 – The Parker Avery Group, an Atlanta based a boutique strategy and management consulting firm, announced the official launch of its blog – Retail Advisor – at blog.parkeravery.com.

Debuting to coincide with the always critical holiday season, upcoming post topics cover Black Friday Strategies, Cyber Monday Consumer Trends, Mobile Showrooming, Digital Marketing & Promotions and Holiday Pricing Trends & Management.

Written by the professionals at The Parker Avery Group who have a combination of executive retail experience and consulting expertise in retail, apparel, marketing, merchandising, store operations and product lifecycle management (PLM), this new blog offers retail and apparel brand executives valuable perspectives on the retail industry.

The Retail Advisor blog is an extension of the quarterly newsletter, of the name, distributed by The Parker Avery Group. The consultancy saw a need in the marketplace for more timely and collaborative updates and strives to provide commentary on the retail industry news, issues and trends that matter most to its clients.

Retailers and press are invited to visit the Retail Advisor blog weekly or subscribe to the blog's RSS feed. Comments are invited (and moderated). Journalists interested in learning more about the blog or interviewing Retail Advisor contributors can contact Samantha Sorrells at contact@parkeravery.com or at 770.882.2205


Parker Avery to Co-Sponsor the 6th Annual Cross-Channel Retail Executive Summit: Reinventing Shopping

San Antonio, TX and Atlanta, GA – September 17, 2012 – The Parker Avery Group is excited to announce it will be a Title Sponsor of the 2012 Cross-Channel Retail Executive Summit (CCRES), held at the Westin Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas from October 3 - 5, 2012.

The CCRES will be filled with sessions and networking opportunities to give full focus on strategic business and technology imperatives critical to retailers as they operate and compete in a global, multi-channel marketplace.

The Parker Avery Group will be hosting a workshop entitled, "Dynamic Merchandising, Planning, Pricing and Marketing Across Channels" on Friday, October 5th. This session will allow participants to examine the issues, challenges and solutions that comprise a fully integrated cross-channel retail initiative that sets and hits sales and margin goals.

The Parker Avery Group will also be introducing Melissa Flicek and Keith Tanski of the Target Corporation during the General Session, "Time to Change the Channel: Evolution of a Cross-Channel Retailer" on Thursday, October 4th.

The Social Mobile Convergence Forum will be produced in conjunction with the Cross-Channel Retail Executive Summit to ensure maximum value for attendees.


The Parker Avery Group to Present at the 2012 Annual RIS Retail Technology Conference

Orlando, FL and Atlanta, GA – April 4, 2012 – The Parker Avery Group, the industry's highest rated boutique strategy and management consulting firm, announced today that the company will be hosting two workshops and participating in a panel discussion at the 6th Annual RIS Retail Technology Conference, held April 11-13, 2012, at the Ritz Carlton, Grande Lakes, Orlando, Florida.

The Parker Avery Group is a Title Sponsor of this event, which brings together leading retail executives and industry experts for a series of interactive and collaborative sessions focused on current business and technology issues.

The Parker Avery Group will be leading and participating in several key sessions:

• Workshop: OMNI-CHANNEL INVENTORY ALIGNMENT STRATEGIES
Wednesday April 11th - 1:15 – 2:30 pm
Omni-channel retailing is seamlessly integrating the customer experience across all channels of interaction, including stores, websites, direct mail and catalogs, mobile platforms, social networks, home shopping and gaming. Join other retailers in a roundtable discussion on strategies for managing and optimizing inventories by channel, and across channels, to better meet consumers' expectations and behavior. Explore how mobile retail and social media influence merchandise plans, pricing and fulfillment, and how organizations are evolving to help streamline inventory strategies.

• Closing Session: 20 TIPS FOR IMPROVING PLANNING & FORECASTING ACROSS CHANNELS
Wednesday April 11th - 2:50 -3:30 pm
- Mike Matacunas, President & CEO, The Parker Avery Group
- Greg Girard, Program Director, Merchandise Strategies, IDC
- Terry Donofrio, President, Retail Systems & Services

The three session leaders from the symposium will participate in an interactive panel discussion summarizing the key takeaways from the day. Each panelist will offer insightful tips based on their knowledge and session feedback that attendees can take back to their offices and use.

• Master Workshop: INTEGRATED PLANNING, PRICING AND FULFILLMENT IN MULTI-CHANNEL RETAIL
Thursday April 12th - 2:00 – 3:30 pm
To better serve today's cross-channel shoppers, retailers seek to offer more targeted products and assortments. In this session, retailers will have the opportunity to discuss with their peers: strategies and practical realities of developing multi-channel merchandise plans, the benefits of channel specific pricing, and the impact of price transparency on their regular pricing and promo/markdown strategy across channels. The Workshop will also address the impact of mobile & e-commerce on fulfillment, different approaches of maintaining pooled versus separate inventories, and how to manage and optimize inventory to best serve each channel.

Leading these sessions will be Mike Matacunas, The Parker Avery Group's founder and CEO. Mike brings more than 20 years of global experience in retail, wholesale, consulting and technology. He specializes in strategy, business processes, organization design and solution delivery.


Retail Industry Executive Joins Parker Avery

The Parker Avery Group continues to expands its West Coast operations.

San Francisco, CA (February 23, 2012) - The Parker Avery Group, an Atlanta based boutique retail consulting and strategy firm, is pleased to announce that retail industry veteran Jack Harbaugh has joined the firm as a Partner. Harbaugh comes to The Parker Avery Group with over 30 years experience in leadership roles for retail software and professional services companies. His responsibilities will include working with clients, leading consulting teams and building the West Coast office for the firm.

"Our firm is recognized for the deep domain expertise and high quality work that we bring to clients," said Mike Matacunas, Parker Avery's CEO. "Jack has a proven track record of success in complex transformational projects throughout his career, and we are thrilled to have him join the team and bring his incredible retail experience to Parker Avery."

Before joining Parker Avery, Harbaugh was at SAP as part of the retail industry team. Prior to that, he was a prominent executive with several successful retail start-up and early stage technology companies including 41st Parameter, Evant and Intrepid Systems where he was a co-founder. Harbaugh has worked with some of the world's leading retailers including Staples, Sears, Neiman Marcus, Abercrombie & Fitch, Overstock.com, Williams-Sonoma, Apple, J. Crew, Barnes & Noble and Discount Tire.

2011

The Parker Avery Group Sponsors Women's Wear Daily Apparel and Retail CEO Summit 2011

New York, NY (November 18, 2011) - The Parker Avery Group, a boutique retail consulting and strategy firm, is pleased to announce that it was a sponsor of the 15th annual Women's Wear Daily Apparel and Retail CEO Summit, held at the Plaza Hotel in New York on November 14 and 15. The theme this year was "Brand Everywhere." The topics discussed covered issues related to expanding a brand globally and locally, creating a modern luxury brand and revitalizing an old one, realizing the next generation of brand identity, interacting with consumers across multiple platforms and marketing in the digital realm range.

"This event was a great opportunity for senior retail and apparel executives to discuss the latest trends and challenges. We're in a period of customer relationship changes that requires CEO's to think differently about channels, brand positioning and operating structure. As seasoned retail professionals, we bring a point of view to the discussion and we enjoyed networking with our clients," said Mike Matacunas, CEO of The Parker Avery Group.

As part of the event, round table discussions, talks and sessions were held with leading retail and apparel CEOs and experts including Tory Burch, Victoria Beckham, President & CEO of Bottega Veneta, President & CMO of Saks Fifth Avenue and CEO of Barneys New York.

In addition to sponsoring the event, The Parker Avery Group recently published a study on Retail Merchandising and Marketing that includes industry statistics on localization, mobile commerce and social media. The study was made available to the CEOs and attendees as part of the event, but can also be downloaded directly from The Parker Avery Group website.

About the Women's Wear Daily (WWD):
For 100 years, Women's Wear Daily (WWD), a property of Fairchild Fashion Media, has been the daily media of record - and THE industry voice of authority - for senior executives in the global women's and men's fashion, retail and beauty communities and the consumer media that cover the market. WWD hosts several summits each year in categories such as men's wear, footwear, denim, beauty, digital, sourcing/global markets, apparel and more.


The Parker Avery Group's Founder and CEO is Recognized by Business to Business Magazine as a 2011 Top Entrepreneur

Atlanta, GA (November 10, 2011) - Business to Business magazine honored the Top 25 Entrepreneurs and Ones to Watch in Metro Atlanta on November 3, 2011 at a dynamic awards ceremony and dinner held at the Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center. Winners will also be featured in the November/December issue of Business to Business

Each year, Business to Business magazine recognizes the top entrepreneurs of the South. Winners are entrepreneurs who have created innovative, high achieving companies and have contribute to their industries and business communities. A diverse collection of industries are represented, including those from real estate, retail, law and technology.

"There are several achievements that have defined our success," says company founder and CEO Mike Matacunas. "The first is our 100% client satisfaction metric. We actively measure this and constantly look for feedback from our clients on our strengths and opportunities. The second is our steady top-line growth based on continually delivering for clients like Wal-Mart, Lands' End, Carter's, et al. The third is our collegial culture that reflects in our client work and the respect our team has for each other. The fourth is building a successful consulting firm in a challenging market and a compressed economic climate. These are some of the achievements that define us as a firm."

Based on The Parker Avery Group's growth and sustainability, as well as entrepreneurship, the boutique strategy and management consulting firm is proud to have been chosen as "One to Watch" in the Atlanta business scene.


The Parker Avery Group Publishes Papers on Group Buying, Mobile Retail and Retail Product Development

Atlanta, GA (March 31, 2011) - The Parker Avery Group, an Atlanta-based management consulting and research firm with clients such as Wal-Mart Stores, Lands' End, Toys "R" Us, Cabela's and PetSmart, recently published three papers for retailers wanting to improve or develop in the areas of Group Buying, Mobile Retail and Product Development:


“In addition to strategy, business and implementation services to retailers, we offer our clients thought leadership, research and Points of View on important industry topics and challenges. We believe mobile commerce, group buying and integrating customer insights with product development are important, timely topics,” said company founder and CEO Mike Matacunas.

The authors of these papers, Robert Kaufman, Scott Kern and Courtney Albert, have more than 40 years of combined experience leading retailers around the world on strategy projects and major transformational initiatives. Their experience covers a wide variety of issues including customer insights, branding, social media, mobile commerce, channel operations, merchandising and supply chain. Webcasts will be published in April and May to provide retailers with additional in-depth analysis.


The Parker Avery Group Posts Record Revenue and Growth in 2010

New York, NY and Atlanta, GA (January 9, 2011) - The 100th Annual National Retail Federation Conference - The Parker Avery Group, an Atlanta-based professional services firm, announced today that it bested previous year performance by more than 31% while receiving high client satisfaction ratings from clients such as Wal-Mart Stores, PetSmart, Cabela’s, Toys”R”Us and others. In addition, the firm launched a new website and moved offices to a larger Atlanta location.

“Our on-line retail education business is now well under way and there are numerous indicators of the strength of the business; client relationships, brand awareness and retention rates are at an all-time high. Despite a tough retail environment early in 2010, new clients made up the majority of our revenue and we see this continuing in 2011 as the recovery continues,” said company founder and CEO Mike Matacunas.

“As another successful project draws to a close, I want to reinforce how much the Parker Avery team has meant to our business and the outstanding contribution they provide. In all, just another example of fantastic support of our mission,” said a senior executive of a large global retailer.

In 2010, The Parker Avery Group received a 2010 Pacesetter Award from the Atlanta Business Chronicle and was recognized by SPI Research as the Best-of-the-Best professional services firm out of 225 consulting organizations based on leadership, client satisfaction and overall performance.

2010

The Parker Avery Group Sponsors the 2010 Cross-Channel Retail Executive Summit

Retail Info System News (RIS News) hosted the fourth annual Cross-Channel Retail Executive Summit held September 15 - 17, 2010 in Scottsdale, Arizona. This invitation-only summit outlined strategic business and technology imperatives critical to retailers as they operate and compete in a multi-channel marketplace.

Participants enjoyed a wealth of opportunities for effective peer-to-peer networking, exchanged information and ideas, and built lasting business and personal relationships. Mike Matacunas, CEO of The Parker Avery Group, cited that this event was beneficial to the future of retailing because "leading retailers need to become more flexible and responsive to channel trends and timing to maintain customer loyalties and build brand equity. Cross-channel retailing requires retailers to change."


The 2010 Professional Services Maturity Model Benchmark Report

The Parker Avery Group was named one of the best professional services organizations in SPI Research's 2010 Professional Services benchmark report.

In comparison to 225 other professional services firms across industries, Parker Avery was identified as one of the 'best of the best' based on vision, client value, delivery excellence and overall performance.

"We are honored to be recognized as an outstanding professional services firm," said Mike Matacunas, CEO of The Parker Avery Group. "We are passionate about professional services and delivering value to our clients."


Parker Avery Sponsors RSR Research's "Getting Back to Good: Pricing 2010" Study

RSR Research, an analyst firm providing market intelligence on retail technology trends, announces the results of its latest research report, "Getting Back to Good: Pricing 2010." The research shows retailers continuing to invest in core pricing capabilities, with a broader view of how price optimization fits within the retail enterprise. The data also finds stores and competitors playing less of a role in determining prices, as retailers try to recover from 2009.

"Getting Back to Good: Pricing 2010" contains analysis of the business drivers, opportunities, and organizational constraints surrounding retail pricing and promotions, as well as recommendations for creating successful pricing capabilities.

"This is timely and insightful research for retail executives," says Dana Andrews, Associate Partner of The Parker Avery Group. "It substantiates our belief that back to basic pricing processes and capabilities make a difference."


Manthan Systems Appoints Parker Avery as Strategic Partner

In January, Manthan Systems appointed Parker Avery as a strategic partner to jointly offer strategy, best practice guidance and cutting edge business intelligence capabilities to retailers.

"The ARC solutions are an impressive example of innovative technology that can dramatically improve Retailer capabilities. From role-based merchandising intelligence to customer analytics and supplier collaboration, the Manthan products are focused on the retail industry and rapidly enabling process change. We're excited about Manthan's growth in the US market and our appointment as a strategic partner," said Mike Matacunas, CEO of The Parker Avery Group.

2009

Parker Avery Sponsors the First Atlanta Retail Forum

The Parker Avery Group sponsored the first Atlanta Retail Forum at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia hotel in Atlanta. The event was a successful gathering of professionals from The Home Depot, Macy's, Carter's, Georgia Pacific, Manhattan Associates, User Insights and The Atlanta Journal Constitution.

"We were excited to sponsor the event and provide a forum for Atlanta Retail professionals to network, discuss the industry and meet. In this Retail economy, it is important we go beyond blogging, texting and social networking to spend time with each other and discuss opportunities," said Dana Andrews, Associate Partner of The Parker Avery Group.

Please visit our ARF page to view photos from the event and make sure you're on the invitation list for the next event.


Parker Avery Responds to Market Needs with Outsourced Merchandising and Inventory Management Services

The Parker Avery Group is pleased to announce outsourced Merchandising and Inventory Management Services. These services provide core merchandising and inventory management business functions in an outsourced staffing model. The benefit for Retailers is lower operating costs, improved sales and profit performance and a greater focus on strategic capabilities.

"We believe that most retailers need to change their basic operating structure to power through the economic challenges of today. The 2010 Retailer needs to be leaner and have higher leverage on third parties to compete. As ex-merchant and inventory executives who understand Retail within a highly accomplished professional services firm, we are the right partner for executives who understand this shift" said Mike Matacunas, Chief Executive Officer.

"Outsourcing is no longer only for technology. We can create significant bottom line value for our clients who are willing to think differently about how to succeed and take advantage of our expertise."

2008

Parker Avery Announces Expansion of Replenishment Strategic Services

The Parker Avery Group is pleased to announce the expansion of its Replenishment strategic services group. The strategic services group provides clients expert advice on strategy, process, organization structure and solution configuration for Demand Planning, Forecasting, Profiling, Data Cleansing, Slow Mover Management, Replenishment and Multi-Echelon Inventory Optimization.

"In this market, companies need to identify and focus on lowering inventories and turning product. By adding a number of specialists and industry thought leaders to our firm, our replenishment and inventory expertise is unmatched and helps clients find and deliver on these opportunities," said Mike Matacunas, CEO of The Parker Avery Group.

2007

Parker Avery Pledges 1% of Revenue to Community and Environment

The Parker Avery Group is announcing the commitment of 1% of revenues to improve the environment. These funds will be donated to various non-profit organizations with high Charity Navigator ratings and causes that directly improve the environment and local communities.

"Commitment to Community is one of the founding principles of our business. We are pleased to be able to make this pledge and look forward to growing our business and contributions over the next few years." said Mike Matacunas, Chief Executive Officer.



The Parker Avery Group is a boutique strategy and management consulting firm.  We are a trusted advisor to leading retail and consumer packaged goods companies. We specialize in integrating customer insights and multi-channel business models. Contact The Parker Avery Group at contact@parkeravery.com with questions or for more information.