What personally identifiable information is collected through the site?

Retail Forward receives very little identifying information from visitors to our Website and only for a narrow set of purposes. Typically, identifying information is collected:

• as registration data for certain areas of the site
• to allow us to respond to visitors' inquiries for further information
• to distribute requested reference materials or
• when submitting resumes.

The personally identifying information collected may consist of basic contact information: Name, Title, company address, email address, and telephone and fax numbers. Other demographic information, such as gender and occupation, is not actively sought, but may be submitted when a visitor responds to an online job application. It is Retail Forward' policy to limit the information collected to only the minimum information required to fulfill a visitor’s request. In any instance where non-mandatory information is sought, the Website visitor will be notified of this at the point of collection.

Visitors are also able to send email through the site. Their messages will contain the user's screen name and email address, as well as any additional information the user may wish to include in the message. Because we use the Website as a recruiting tool, a visit to the Website may also result in the user sending a resume to an individual within Retail Forward.

Retail Forward policy is not to seek any sensitive information through our Website unless legally required for recruiting purposes. Sensitive information includes a number of types of data relating to: race or ethnic origin; political opinions; religious or other similar beliefs; trade union membership; physical or mental health; sexual life or criminal record. We suggest that you do not provide sensitive information of this nature. If you do wish to provide sensitive information for any reason, Retail Forward accepts your explicit consent to use that information in the ways described in this privacy statement or as described at the point where you choose to disclose this information.


Are Cookies and Log Files used?

Cookies may be used on some areas of our site. A cookie is generated by a software application on a sites server which enables it to customise services to the interests of the user by tracking the user's navigation through a small text file on the user's hard drive. For example, a cookie can be used to store registration information in an area of the site so that a user does not need to re-enter it on subsequent visits to that area.

Because cookies can be used to track navigational habits, store information on the user's hard drive, and in their early use were not disclosed to the user, the use of cookies has previously raised significant privacy concerns. However, cookies are now used as a standard by which Websites improve your navigational experience.

If you are concerned about cookies, most browsers now recognize when a cookie is offered, and permits users to opt-out of receiving it. If you are not sure whether your browser has this capability, you should check with the software manufacturer or your Internet service provider. It is Retail Forward's policy to use cookies to make the use of our Websites easier for visitors and to facilitate efficient registration procedures. In most cases, a visitor can refuse a cookie and still fully navigate our Websites.

In order to properly manage our Website we may anonymously log information on our operational systems, and identify categories of visitors by items such as domains and browser types. These statistics are reported in the aggregate to our webmasters. This is to ensure that our Website presents the best web experience for visitors and is an effective information resource.


How is personally identifiable information used?

A user may choose to provide personal information in the following examples:

• Ordering publications
• Submitting resumes or work history information
• Participating in "join our mailing list" initiatives
• Contacting us for further information
• Registering for events and conferences
• Registering for premium online services

Information attained by the site is used only for the intended purpose stated at the time that the information is collected. This data is not shared with other entities in the Firm for secondary or unrelated purposes, or shared with a third party, unless otherwise disclosed at the point of collection. If there is an instance where such information may be shared, the visitor will be asked for permission beforehand.

Retail Forward makes every practical effort to avoid excessive or irrelevant collection of data. If a visitor believes the site has collected excessive information, we encourage the visitor to contact us at privacy@RetailForward.com to raise any concerns.

Except for the mailing list initiative described above, where visitors explicitly choose to receive specific Retail Forward's marketing or other materials, Retail Forward will not use personal data collected from our Websites to facilitate unsolicited marketing activities.


Is information disclosed to Third Parties?

It is Retail Forward policy to only disclose information to third parties under the following circumstances:

• as required by law through subpoena, search warrant or other legal process
• when explicitly requested by a visitor
• when required to deliver publications or reference materials requested by a visitor
• when required to facilitate conferences or events hosted by a third party.

Retail Forward encourages all web visitors to review the privacy and security policies of all externally linked reference and other services sites. These policies are usually found on a footer on the sites' home page and/or at the point of collection of personally identifiable information.

Retail Forward Websites do not collect or compile personally identifying information for dissemination or sale to outside parties for consumer marketing purposes, or host mailings on behalf of third parties.


How long is the information kept?

Some of the information we receive is not kept - for example, we usually do not keep mailing addresses for white papers. Contact information about visitors (such as information generated though registration for access to areas on the site) will be kept as long as the information is required to completely service the contact request or until a user requests that we delete that information. Mailing list information, discussion posts and email are kept for only the period of time considered reasonable to facilitate the visitor's requests. Resumes are disposed of when they are either no longer under consideration, or are considered dated by our Human Resources departments.


Links to Third Party Sites

Because Retail Forward wants your Web site experience to be as informational and resourceful as possible, we provide a number of links to third party sites. Retail Forward assumes no responsibility for the information practices of sites a user is able to access through ours, and encourages visitors to review each site's privacy policy before disclosing any personally identifiable information.


What choices are available for the collection and use of identifying information?

As a policy, visitors are not required to register to gain access to areas of the Retail Forward Web sites. In certain cases in the future, as your Retail Forward Website experience expands, we may require visitors to register in order to obtain a user-id and password for authentication and secure access to a transaction or certain business confidential or proprietary information services on premium Websites.

Personally identifiable information provided to Retail Forward through its Website is provided voluntarily by visitors. Should visitors subsequently choose to unsubscribe from mailing lists or any registrations, we will provide instructions, on the appropriate Website area or in communications to our visitors; or a visitor may contact the webmaster of the appropriate site e.g. webmaster@RetailForward.com.


Can I change or delete the information later?

Each visitor has the right of access to personal data they have submitted through the Web sites to Retail Forward.

User updates of information should be handled by going back through the registration process. Inquiries about the accuracy of identifying information previously submitted to Retail Forward through its Website, or requests to have outdated information removed, should be directed to: webmaster@RetailForward.com. Retail Forward is committed to providing reasonable and practical access to visitors to allow them the opportunity to identify and correct any inaccuracies. When requested, Retail Forward will delete identifying information from current operational systems.

When personally identifiable information is retained, Retail Forward assumes responsibility for keeping an accurate record of the information once a visitor has submitted and verified the data. Retail Forward does not assume responsibility for verifying the ongoing accuracy of the content of personal information. When practically possible, if Retail Forward is informed that any personal data collected through a Website is no longer accurate, Retail Forward will make appropriate corrections based on the updated information provided by the visitor.


How is my information secured?

Retail Forward has implemented generally accepted standards of technology and operational security in order to protect personally identifiable information from loss, misuse, alteration or destruction. All Retail Forward employees follow a firm wide security policy. Only authorized Retail Forward personnel are provided access to personally identifiable information and these employees have agreed to ensure confidentiality of this information.


Changes to the Retail Forward Privacy Statement

Retail Forward reserves the right to modify or amend this Statement at any time and for any reason. Nothing contained in this Statement is intended to create a contract or agreement between Retail Forward and any user visiting the site or providing identifying information in any form.

In order to keep visitors informed, Retail Forward will ensure that we notify users of changes to our Privacy Statement by identifying the alteration for a period of not less than two weeks on our global home page at http://www.RetailForward.com and identifying the effective date at the beginning of this statement.