Following a better-than-expected back-to-school season, retailers are optimistic for year-end retail sales. According to a new survey from BDO USA, LLP, retail CFOs expect a 4.5-percent increase in total 2012 sales.

Sissy's Log Cabin, a jewelry retailer in Arkansas, has been employing an RFID-based solution for the past five years at its stores in Pine Bluff and Little Rock, in order to more accurately and quickly inventory the trays of watches, gems and fine jewelry that it displays and sells. Now, having opened a new store this year in Jonesboro, the company is preparing to expand the system, within the next 12 months, to include that location as well.

Renys, a regional chain of discount retail stores in Maine, has selected Junction Solutions to implement Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 and help launch its multichannel retail strategy, while automating manual processes and improving visibility and collaboration throughout its store locations.

Arbela Technologies Corp. has issued the latest version of its Master Data Centralization (MDC) application for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.

Cortera has launched a B2B Purchase Insights offering, enabling sales, marketing and finance executives to better research and understand their customers, prospects and suppliers.

Zebra Technologies has put its own real-time location system (RTLS) technology to work at two of its warehouses - one in Vernon Hills, Ill., and a second in Heerenveen, the Netherlands. The solution saves time employees previously spent locating the proper place for loads of picked goods (approximately three minutes per load), says Gary Meekma, Zebra's senior manager of warehouse operations, while also reducing the amount of space required to stage each load by about 40 percent.

In-house logistics professionals want a lot more information and attention from their prospective logistics service providers these days, says Bill Weaver, senior account executive with United Transportation Services Inc.

Mike Jones, president of St. Onge Co., explains the value of total landed cost modeling, and how it's affecting decisions to offshore manufacturing activities.

Kewill has developed a new version of its Web-based application for order management. The update of EasyTrade Web Edition allows open-community collaboration between companies and suppliers, enabling the electronic exchange of orders and e-invoices.

Jeeves Information Systems AB, a developer of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for small and medium-sized businesses, has established a new headquarters for its North American operations in Chicago.