International Speedway Corporation Goes High Tech for Retailing

Anyone who goes to a NASCAR event will understand very quickly that fans buy far more than hot dogs and beer; everything from T-shirts to high-dollar leather jackets help lighten the wallets of fans.
But, because these items are part of a travelling roadshow–merchandise trailers go from track to track–it can be a challenge when it comes to keeping track of sales and orders and inventory.
To help address this situation, International Speedway Corporation–which handles the retail end for the bulk of NASCAR sales (it has close ownership ties with NASCAR)–has just struck a deal to help remedy this problem.
Retail systems provider Island Pacific will provide its Retail Pro software and professional services to ISC.
“We evaluated all of the major retail system providers,” said Craig Neeb, chief information officer of ISC. “Selecting Retail Pro was our choice because of its completeness, but a contributing factor was the quality of Island Pacific’s implementation and support team. We took our time and were very careful in the selection process because we really want a long-term partnership. We believe that as we expand the scope and complexity of ISC’s retail business that Island Pacific will have the expertise and products to support us.”
Neeb added, “ISC’s needs are very demanding and unique. In addition to our permanent locations, we have a large number of mobile stores that travel from event to event. That creates a set of uncommon retail system challenges that require we have a close partnership with the developer. For example, at our flagship event, the Daytona 500, we have over 250 distinct retail locations, some of which will be separated by nearly two miles. It is not only critical we have the right application and technology, but also that we have a true partner to support us. We were impressed by the recent merger of Island Pacific and Retail Technologies International (RTI) due to the breadth of complementary retail applications now available from one vendor. We are confident we have found a long-term partner in Retail Pro and Island Pacific.”
Mike Tomczak, president and chief operating officer of Island Pacific said, “We are very proud to have been selected by such a professional and progressive business as ISC. Island Pacific looks forward to being a partner to ISC and supporting its business as it expands and its merchandising needs become more complex. We feel very fortunate to have been selected by ISC from among such an impressive list of retail applications.”
Florida-based Island Pacific reseller POSabilities played a key role in demonstrating the viability of the Retail Pro offering and is heavily involved in the implementation.
According to POSabilities CEO Bill Grant, “This project is a significant step in the evolution of our business. We are the local presence for Island Pacific and are working closely with them to make sure this project is a success. Ed Turner, vice president customer service, and the entire team at POSabilities are determined to make sure ISC has a successful roll-out of Retail Pro.”