VP of Technology Reitmaier to Join EarthLink as speaker at Gartner ITxpo® on Oct. 6
ATLANTA — Sept. 4, 2014 — EarthLink Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:ELNK, news, filings), a leading managed network and cloud solutions provider for multi-location businesses, today announced that Nashville-based specialty retailer Genesco Inc., selling footwear, headwear, sports apparel and accessories in more than 2,500 retail stores throughout the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland, recently extended its relationship with EarthLink, with future plans to use the network in new ways to enhance the customer shopping experience. A longtime EarthLink customer, Genesco relies on a private EarthLink MPLS network to run all in-store point-of-sale, inventory management and employee communications and training in its Johnston & Murphy, Journeys, Journeys Kidz, Underground by Journeys and Shï by Journeys stores.
On October 6, Rik Reitmaier, Genesco Vice President of Technology, will serve as a panel speaker during EarthLink’s session at the prestigious Gartner Symposium/ITxpo® 2014 in Orlando. With the symposium theme of “Driving Digital Business,” EarthLink’s session will feature a lively discussion of how digital business and the mobile, connected consumer are transforming the retail and service industries and share the best practices to engage customers through WiFi, mobile, and digital technology.
An early adopter of EarthLink’s retail solutions, Genesco is also a member of the company’s Retail Advisory Council, which brings together retail IT leaders to network, learn best practices and share their challenges and opportunities. Feedback from the Council helps EarthLink continue to develop solutions that best support the unique requirements of multi-site retail and service businesses.
“As brick and mortar and online shopping experiences evolve, we will continue to innovate and invest in new technology solutions,” shared Reitmaier. “Genesco enjoys a trusted relationship with EarthLink and relies on its retail expertise in handling our day-to-day secure network management, which frees my staff to focus its talents on developing strategic applications that drive marketing and operations initiatives to help move the sales meter for our brands.”
To enrich the in-store shopping experience for its consumers, Genesco plans future applications to connect with shoppers via mobile, gather better data on in-store activity, and shift “one to many” advertising to “one to one” targeted offers. The retailer also plans to run people counter analytics over its optimized EarthLink network to help deliver better customer service.
Genesco is also a major participant in EarthLink’s Operation Cash Register program, now in its sixth year, which allocates additional resources to retailers during peak holiday shopping periods and back-to-school in the fall, providing smooth operational performance and priority issue resolution.
“Upgrading Genesco’s network will enable them to further leverage new technology to tailor the shopping experience and increase appeal to its various brand demographics,” said Rick Froehlich, EarthLink Executive Vice President, Products and Consumer. “I’m pleased with this extension of our relationship, as it speaks to how Genesco values our service model and unique understanding of their retail environment.”
About Genesco Inc.
Genesco Inc., a Nashville-based specialty retailer, sells footwear, headwear, sports apparel and accessories in more than 2,670 retail stores and leased departments throughout the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, principally under the names Journeys, Journeys Kidz, Shi by Journeys, Underground by Journeys, Schuh, Schuh Kids, Lids, Locker Room by Lids, Lids Clubhouse, Johnston & Murphy, and on internet websites www.journeys.com, www.journeyskidz.com, www.shibyjourneys.com, www.schuh.co.uk, www.johnstonmurphy.com, www.lids.com, www.lids.ca, www.lidslockerroom.com, www.lidsteamsports.com, www.lidsclubhouse.com, www.trask.com, www.suregripfootwear.com and www.dockersshoes.com . The Company’s Lids Sports Group division operates the Lids headwear stores, the Locker Room by Lids and other team sports fan shops and single team clubhouse stores, and the Lids Team Sports team dealer business. In addition, Genesco sells wholesale footwear under its Johnston & Murphy brand, the Trask brand, the licensed Dockers brand, SureGrip, and other brands. For more information on Genesco and its operating divisions, please visit www.genesco.com
About EarthLink
EarthLink (EarthLink Holdings Corp., NASDAQ: ELNK) provides managed network, security and cloud solutions for multi-location businesses. We help thousands of specialty retailers, restaurants, financial institutions, healthcare providers, professional service firms and local governments deliver a reliable and engaging customer experience in their stores and branch offices. We do so by building and managing MPLS WAN networks, by providing virtualized infrastructure, security, hosted voice, secure WiFi and compliance solutions, and by offering exceptional customer care. We operate a nationwide network spanning more than 28,000 fiber route miles, with 90 metro fiber rings and secure data centers that provide ubiquitous data and voice IP service coverage. Our EarthLink Carrier™ division sells facilities-based wholesale telecommunications to other providers and our award-winning Internet services connect hundreds of thousands of residential customers across the U.S. For more, visit www.earthlink.com and follow @earthlink, LinkedIn and Google+.
PR Archives: Latest, By Company, By Date