From 27 February to 1 March 2007 the world of retailing will get together in Düsseldorf at EuroCIS, the International Trade Fair Communications, Information and Security Technology in Retailing. In Halls 1 and 2 of the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre organisers expect some 200 exhibitors.

The importance of IT solutions in retailing is enormous. On the one hand, business processes must become faster and increasingly cost-efficient for competitive reasons - made possible now by the use of novel technologies; on the other hand, employees can be freed from administrative tasks giving them more time for customer service. Furthermore, new technologies also give rise to novel tools for building customer loyalty.

The ranges on show at EuroCIS are perfectly tuned to retail needs - including check-out systems, merchandise information systems, supply chain management and logistics, POS technologies, scales, mobile solutions and RFID plus Business Intelligence and CRM, payment and cash management systems, anti-theft tagging / loss prevention and digital POS media. After IT investment in retailing being dominated by reverse-vending and rationalisation in 2006, next year will see a stronger retail focus on issues of customer loyalty. Alongside such "evergreens” as merchandise information systems (MIS), tamper-proofing and check-out solutions, topics like wireless retailing, cash management and integration of chain store systems will be in the limelight next year. Furthermore, an increasing number of retailers are now also interested in digital marketing solutions for the point of sale.

28 February is the "Day for SMEs”
Commenting on the event Wilhelm Niedergöker, Managing Director at Messe Düsseldorf, said: "It is not just major retail companies that use EuroCIS but also small and medium sized ones. Here they gather information on the latest technical developments because these can help cut costs, improve service and customer loyalty, thereby contributing to a decisive competitive edge. Because of the increased potential here and our desire to do more for small and medium-sized enterprises we have declared the second day of the trade fair the "Day for SMEs”. On this day the fair will be open for two extra hours, i.e. until 8 pm.” By extending opening hours Messe Düsseldorf caters, above all, to store owners from the region giving them greater opportunity to gather information at EuroCIS.

Added value for trade fair visitors: high-calibre congress programme
Approximately 5,000 trade visitors from over 25 countries from the sectors of food and non-food retailing, from wholesale and mail order, from the IT and security industries, consumer goods and food service chains will all come to gather information at EuroCIS on the latest retail products and solutions. To this end an extensive line-up of ranges has been put together by EuroCIS exhibitors along with a comprehensive congress and forum programme coordinated by the organiser.

After the renowned Global Retail Technology Forum was held in parallel with EuroCIS in Düsseldorf for the first time in 2006, it is now also set to stay in Düsseldorf in 2007 so all involved can tap into the synergies generated by this move. On the day before the fair more than 200 IT decision-makers from the international retail scene will discuss the latest trends and projects in their field. The expert conference will be organised by the EHI Retail Institute, the conceptual sponsor of EuroCIS. The Institute is also the organiser of the 7th Retail Innovation Day (Innovationstag Handel) where top-flight executives will present the ideas, philosophies and concepts of their companies. Specific advice for every-day business routines will be provided by the EuroCIS Exhibitor Forum set up within the trade fair itself. Here exhibitors are given the opportunity to inform trade visitors about current projects and trends by means of short lectures given free of charge.

EuroCIS 2007 will be open for trade visitors from Tuesday, 27 February 2007, to Thursday, 1 March 2007, from 10.00 am daily. On Tuesday and Thursday the trade fair closes at 6.00 pm whereas Wednesday is dubbed the "Day for SMEs” and opening hours are extended to 8.00 pm. A 1-day ticket costs € 20.-, the 2-day ticket is € 35.-. Students and trainees pay € 10.-. For online ticket reservations and registration at www.eurocis.com prices for day tickets are reduced to € 15 and for 2-day tickets to € 27, excl. postage. All admission tickets include free travel to and from the fair grounds using all public transport marked VRR. For further information on EuroCIS visit the Internet at www.eurocis.com.

Your Press Contact:
Andrea Erps
Sonja Zimmermann
Tel.: +49 (0)211/4560-997
Tel.: +49 (0)211/4560-999
Fax: +49 (0)211/4560-8548
Email: ErpsA@messe-duesseldorf.de
ZimmermannS@messe-duesseldorf

Correct as of July 2006