The Company

Stop & Shop operates over 375 stores throughout 7 states including:

• Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, and New Jersey

• A distribution center in Freetown, MA.

• 59,000 associates from the communities we serve

Company History
The History of Stop & Shop

Stop & Shop's roots can be traced back to 1914, when the Rabinovitz family founded the Economy Grocery Stores
Company in Somerville, Massachusetts. Four years later, family member Sidney Rabb introduced an idea new to retail:
the self-service, modern supermarket. By 1947, Economy Grocery Stores had grown into a flourishing chain of 86
supermarkets and the name of the company was changed to Stop & Shop, Inc. In the 1980s, Stop & Shop pioneered the
superstore concept in New England, opening the first Super Stop & Shop in 1982. In 1996, Stop & Shop was acquired by
Ahold, one of the largest food retailers in the world. Worldwide, Ahold employs 450,000 people and services the needs of
40 million customers in 28 countries every week.

Diversity
Stop & Shop and Giant are committed to making a difference in our customers' lives everyday. Our customers depend on
us to simplify their lives by providing an engaging shopping experience, great food and low prices. We deliver on that
promise by having associates who reflect the diversity of our customers and the communities we serve. For us, diversity
and inclusion are integral to who we are and how we operate, allowing us to understand and embrace the richness of our
associates and customers.

Supplier Diversity
Stop & Shop is committed to developing mutually beneficial and successful partnerships with Minority and Women
Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) by incorporating them into the everyday process of category reviews and product or
service bids. We aim to enhance the procurement process by developing strong business relationships with a talented
group of M/WBEs that offer quality products and services, excellent customer service and competitive costs.

Internally, we address supplier diversity mainly through education of associates, identification of opportunities for
minority and women business enterprises, and tapping into the knowledge of Stop & Shop senior management.

Externally, we aim at building awareness and promoting opportunities for M/WBEs, including involvement in trade shows,
business opportunity fairs, conferences and conventions to meet about the product presentation and bidding process.

Departments & Partners

We pride ourselves on our wide range of quality products and services. If it's not here, chances are it's not on your list
either!

• Departments
• Partners
In-Store Pharmacy
Our experienced pharmacists are at your service 7 days a week to fill all your prescription needs. Learn more.

The Deli Shop

Enjoy premium deli meats and cheeses, heart-healthy salads, our own winning selections and more. Try our party platters, too.
You canOrder for Pickup online.

Florist Shop
Fresh fragrant flowers and festive balloons make an ordinary event extraordinary. Order for Pickup. Note: May vary by store and
availability.

The Bake Shop

Liven things up with cheesecakes, layer cakes, custom decorated cakes (available online for in-store pickup), Danish pastry, fresh
European breads, bagels and muffins.

The Seafood Shop

Ocean-fresh fish, shellfish, cooked shrimp and more. Order your Seafood Platters for in-store pickup online. Also check out our
environmentally friendly seafood practices here.

The Produce Shop

Certified organically grown produce and a large selection of locally grown (in season). Plus sliced fresh fruits, veggie platters and
more.
The Baby Shop
The biggest brands: Pampers, Huggies, Gerber, Beech Nut, Enfamil and Similac. Plus bottles, wipes, infant acetaminophen and
more.

Natural Foods
Eden Soymilk, Shiloh Farms breads, Van's Organic multi-grain waffles, Morningstar Farms vegetable breakfast links and patties,
much more.

The Pet Shop

A wide selection of pet foods from Purina, Iams, and Friskies, flea collars, leashes, kitty litter, toys, and more. Save on veterinary
costs withCompanion Pet Insurance.

The Beauty Shop

Vitamins, family health items - antacids, bandages, cold and allergy meds, and more. Plus makeup from
names like L'Oreal, Revlon and Neutrogena.

Gas Station
Save time and money - fill your gas tank where you fill your grocery cart. At over 50 Stop & Shop locations.

The Butcher Shop

You want to serve the best for your family, and the Butcher Shop is here to help. In fact, we've got everything you need to make
dining-in as delicious as a trip to a 5-star restaurant.

Brands
Everything we know about superior quality and taste goes into every one of our store brands. With over 2,500 products
to choose from, you'll save big time - with quality guaranteed or your money back.
Nature's Promise®
Enjoy natural and organic foods, priced less than other brands. We follow strict quality standards. Look for packaged,
refrigerated and frozen foods.
CareOne®
Featuring the same active ingredients as national over-the-counter brands, CareOne® includes everything from shampoo
to skin care.
Simply Enjoy
Only the best premium quality ingredients, like Italian durum wheat semolina, Dungeness crab; rich Belgian chocolate;
real fresh cream and more.
Guaranteed Value®
Guaranteed Value® offers the best value on everyday items like juice, ketchup, paper goods, household items and more.

Shopping Tools
Now faster, easier shopping is well within your reach.
If it can make shopping a better part of your day, we're behind it. Check out the many tools and options we offer, from
Check It! our self-checkout to Family Friendly Aisles. And watch for more in the months to come.
Your circular just went mobile!
• Download it free from the App StoreSM or Android™ Market!
• View your store's circular
• Find the nearest store on the go
Order It!
Select, get a print out with your choices and prices, and a total price. Then pick up your order at the Deli when you're
ready to go.
Weigh It!
Self-serve scales speed you through self-checkout with all your produce purchases. It's the fast, easy "weigh" to price
everything from apples to zucchini.
Check It!
Our self checkout is now available at participating stores with on-screen instructions, helpful graphics, several payment
options, and coupon redemption.
Scan It! for speed and savings
Scan and bag as you shop, see your spending and savings, plus receive extra savings that automatically come off your
order as you shop. At select Stop & Shop locations.
A Family Friendly Lane
Steer toward better-for-you snacks and magazines in checkout lanes the whole family can love. Free stickers and
activities too!
Reusable shopping bags
Help protect our environment. Purchase our reusable shopping bags in store for just $.99 each or our insulated bags for
$1.99 Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
*Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service
mark of Apple Inc.
*Android is a trademark of Google Inc. Use of this trademark is subject to Google permissions.

QUINCY, MA - 13 Oct 2004: The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company today announced
plans to roll out new intelligent shopping carts from IBM and Cuesol that promise to
transform grocery shopping -- giving shoppers the power of an Internet computer at their
fingertips, allowing for faster and more personalized service.
Stop & Shop's new "Shopping Buddy" includes a wireless, touch-screen IBM computer on
the shopping cart, equipped with a laser scanner to allow shoppers to scan items as they
place them in the cart and to use loyalty cards to alert the store that they have arrived.
Supported by IBM's Store Integration Framework software, the Cart Companion software
from Cuesol, an IBM Business Partner, enables a grocery shopper to have a personalized
shopping assistant on his or her cart, and gives the shopper such features as:

• The shopper's buying history and favorites, as well as the shopping list that could
have been created at home and emailed to the store;
• Notification of favorite items or other promotional items that are on sale, as the
shopper approaches those items in the aisle;
 • Personalized offers, including coupons, in the aisle as the shopper approaches an
item;
• The ability to place a deli order from the cart, then picking up the order when the deli
counter notifies the shopper on the cart's computer that it is ready;
• The ability to locate particular items in the store
• The shopper's loyalty program points and reward level;
• Price checks through use of the personal shopping assistant's scanner;
• The ability to keep a running total of items in the cart by scanning each item. The
Shopping Buddy also shows total savings and allows for rapid self-checkout at the
end of the shopping trip.
• The ability to show promotional material and advertisements on the cart.

Stop & Shop also uses IBM Self Checkout systems to enable the self-checkout feature of the
new Shopping Buddy once shoppers have completed their cart-based self-scan.
In the future, these intelligent shopping carts could offer such personal shopping assistance
as: meal planning, sorted by such things as category, favorites, sale items, diet type, and
preparation time, with supporting content such as health notes, recipes from a meal plan and
wine information. It also will be able to offer the shopper a guided shopping trip, showing a
store map with shopper and product icons mapped by location.
In addition, future features could include pharmacy favorites, ordering and notification, as
well as product information that allows for comparison with similar items, consumer ratings
and gift suggestions. Ultimately, the personal shopping assistants will allow shoppers to pay
at the cart.
"Grocery shopping will never be the same once shoppers begin using the features of the
new Shopping Buddy," said Stop & Shop President & CEO Marc Smith. "Our initial pilot tests
of these systems have been very positive. Our customers who use them tell us they love
them. Advanced retail technology like this will allow us to better serve our customers by
saving them time and giving them new personalized services."
Stop & Shop will retrofit its 3 pilot stores with the new IBM-Cuesol systems and plans to
install 20 additional stores in the first quarter of 2005.
IBM and Cuesol have signed an agreement to jointly market the Personal Shopping
Assistant. Stop & Shop is their first customer.

Stop & Shop

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company

Type Subsidiary of Ahold

Industry Grocery

Founded 1914 as Shopmate, 1947 as Stop and Shop

Founder(s) The Rabinowitz family

Headquarters Quincy, Massachusetts[1]

Area served New England and Mid-Atlantic

Products Grocery, Florist, Deli, Gelatin Shop, Produce, Seafood, Meats,

Dairy, Pharmacy, General Merchandise, Gasoline

Revenue US$11.17 billion 6.1% (2003) [2]

Employees 80,000

Parent Royal Ahold

Website Stop & Shop

Headquarters building of Stop & Shop supermarket chain in Quincy Center

The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company is a chain of supermarketslocated mostly in the northeastern United

States. Its main rivals areShaw's Star Market and Hannaford in New England, while ShopRite & the A&P family of

supermarkets are its main competition in New York and New Jersey.

Contents

[hide]

• 1 History

• 2 Brands

• 3 Recent contract negotiations and complications

• 4 Slogans

• 5 Logos

• 6 References

• 7 External links

[edit]History

Stop & Shop's roots can be traced back to 1892, when Solomon and Jeanie Rabinowitz opened a grocery shop,

called the "Greenie Store", at 134 Salem Street, in Boston's North End. This store lasted at this location until 1908.
[3]
According to the company's web site, Stop & Shop was founded in 1914 in Somerville, Massachusetts by the

Rabinowitz family as the Economy Grocery Stores Company. Four years later, the store introduced a new concept
to retailing: the self-service, modern supermarket. The chain had grown to 86 supermarkets by 1946, when the

name was officially changed to Stop & Shop, Inc.[4]

Stop & Shop purchased the now-defunct department store chain Bradleesin 1961, and sold it in 1992. It also

operated a chain of pharmacies named Medi-Mart, which were sold to Walgreens in the late 1980s, as well as

Perkins Tobacco Stores in the 1960s and 1970s.

Stop & Shop is now the largest food retailer based in New England. It operates more than 380 stores throughout

four of the six New England states, as well as in downstate New York and northern New Jersey. The corporate

headquarters is located in Quincy, MA and the current distribution facility is located in Assonet, MA. Until 2006 the

firm also operated a large warehouse located off of Interstate 91 in North Haven,Connecticut; while the company's

original warehouse was in Readville, MA.

In the late 1980s, The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company was acquired by leveraged buyout specialists Kohlberg

Kravis Roberts. Shortly thereafter, Medi-Mart was sold to Walgreens, and Bradlees was spun off as its own

corporation. After a period of several years in which KKR explored merger possibilities with Safeway (which it also

controlled at the time), Stop & Shop was sold at public offering.

In 1980, Stop & Shop had supermarkets in New Jersey, New York state south of Kingston, Connecticut, Rhode

Island, and Massachusetts. The stores were then typical in size at about 30,000 square feet (2,800 m2) on

average. Many were next door to their then-co-owned Bradlees Department stores. In the New York and

Philadelphia metro areas, Stop & Shop was not able to compete successfully. In 1982, Stop & Shop exited New

Jersey, selling most of the stores that were profitable to A & P, which would use these stores to replace their aging

fleet of stores. Other stores were either sold to other chains or closed and converted to other uses. In New York

State they sold some of their stores to A & P while selling others to Grand Union and closing others, converting

them also to other uses.

The Super Stop & Shop in Yonkers, NY

Also, in 1982, Stop & Shop built their first Superstore in the Springfield, Massachusetts area. These stores would

be between 45,000 square feet (4,200 m2) and 80,000 square feet (7,400 m2). In addition to traditional

supermarket offerings, these stores feature bakeries, pharmacies, moderate selections of general merchandise

one would not expect to find at a supermarket, expanded deli departments, cafes, and a salad bar. Also some of

these stores would feature a bank, expanded liquor and beer, video rentals, etc. Throughout the 1980s and into

the 1990s, the traditional supermarkets were converted one by one into superstores. Some were remodeled,

others were torn down and a new store rebuilt in the same location, while others were closed and replaced with a

super store within a mile or two. By 1990, Stop & Shop operated in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Boston area, and

Springfield, MA areas only except for its New York state location (which would be closed in 1995 and also replaced

with a Superstore nearby). The Bradlees Chain which also had stores in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New

York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, was sold in 1992.

The chain was acquired by the American branch of Dutch food giant Ahold in 1995. Ahold had previously acquired

First National Supermarkets, whose Edwards and Finast chain also had a strong presence in Connecticut, and

Ahold planned to operate both the Edwards and Stop & Shop chains side by side. However, in the wake of the

acquisition,Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal raised anti-trust questions, as Stop & Shop and

Edwards combined had more than half of the grocery market share in Connecticut. Following negotiations with

Blumenthal, Ahold decided to convert all of its New England stores to the Stop & Shop banner, while selling some

locations to other chains such asShaw's, Shop Rite, and Grand Union. Ahold also began building stores under the

Edwards banner in New York state and New Jersey. They also acquired 26 independent Mayfair Foodtown stores

in that area, converting them to Edwards. From 1998 to 1999, several Super Stop & Shop stores were built in the

northern Hudson Valley near the Poughkeepsie location.

In 1999, Ahold announced its plan to acquire Pathmark supermarkets. Under that deal all the Edwards stores

would be renamed Pathmark along with the Giant Stores of both Carlisle and Landover. Late in 2000, after Grand

Union was about to enter Chapter 7 bankruptcy and liquidate, Ahold walked away from the Pathmark deal and

proposed acquiring many of the Grand Union locations instead.

At that point, Ahold continued the transition of its Edwards stores, converting all of its New York and New Jersey

locations to the Stop & Shop format late in 2000. In 2001, Ahold acquired most of the Grand Union locations in

New Jersey and New York state south of Kingston. These were all renamed Stop & Shop. Other locations went to

other supermarket chains, non food chains, or closed altogether. In 2003, Ahold acquired many of the A & P

Foodmart locations in the Hartford, Connecticut area, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and the one remaining New

Hampshire store. Other A & P locations in that region closed or were sold to other supermarket chains. In 2004,

Ahold integrated Stop & Shop Supermarkets with Giant Food LLC and created one combined company with the

name of Stop & Shop/Giant-Landover.

In 1994, Giant-Landover began northern expansion by opening stores in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New

Jersey under the Super G trade name. This was done to differentiate itself from future sister company Giant Food

of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. During 2005, the newly formed Stop & Shop/Giant made the decision to phase out the

Super G name in New Jersey and Delaware. In New Jersey, four Super G stores were shuttered and the

remaining eight stores were converted to the Super Stop & Shop banner and became a part of Stop & Shop's

Metro New York division in an attempt to revive sales at the stores. (The stores continued to underperform and

were subsequently sold in 2007 toShopRite Supermarkets.) The Delaware Super G stores were to be remodeled

and reopened as Super Giant.

In 2006, Stop & Shop signed a contract with Starbucks, placing the coffee shop chain's licensed stores inside

certain supermarkets. Many Stop & Shop stores currently feature Dunkin' Donuts outlets inside the store. Also in

May 2006, Stop & Shop began piloting the Shopping Buddy program in select stores in Massachusetts and

Connecticut. The Shopping Buddy is a personal shopping assistant that allows customers to track their purchases

and to do in-cart bagging as they move through the store.

In October 2007, Stop & Shop launched an advertising campaign which was intended to have users submit stories

and videos to a website (stopandshop.tv) detailing their grocery store experiences. The campaign was significant

in that it is an early example of a regional traditional brand employing Web 2.0 concepts such as user-generated

content to promote their stores.

On August 22, 2008, Stop & Shop changed its logo as a re-branding project along with its sister company, Giant-

Landover.

Map of Stop & Shop stores

In August 2009, Stop & Shop announced closures and re-brandings for a large portion of the licensed Starbucks

stores opened in 2006.[5]

In 2007 Stop & Shop made an attempt to expand further into northern New England. They built, but did not

operate, a single Vermont store in Rutland before selling it to rival supermarket operator Delhaize. Delhaize

opened the store under its Hannaford banner in February 2008.

Also, in July 2007 Stop & Shop opened a single Maine store in Kennebunk. The store was closed in October 2009,

citing slow sales as the primary reason. At the same time, they abandoned plans to build a second Maine store in
Portland.[6] Delhaize purchased the vacant Kennebunk location in December 2009 and will reopen the property

under the Hannaford banner in Spring 2010.[7]

In 2010, Stop & Shop's parent company, Ahold USA, plans to relocate its corporate headquarters which is

currently based in Quincy, Massachusetts to Carlisle, Pennsylvania in order to centralize Ahold's US operations in

one location.

Currently (as of late 2010), Stop & Shop operates stores in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire,

Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island in particular have a very

strong Stop & Shop base - almost to the point of saturating the market - and are far beyond their competitors in

number of stores.

[edit]Brands

As part of Stop & Shop's market realignment, they have introduced new private-label products to their stores.[citation
needed]

Stop & Shop also has numerous in-house brands including:

 Sun Glory (Value Priced items, now discontinued)

 CareOne (Health and Beauty Care)

 Acadia (Spring Water Products)

 Nature's Promise (Natural and Organic Foods)

 Orchard Perfect (Limited Produce Label)

 Clear Splash and Main Street (Carbonated Beverages)

 Zazz (Seltzer)

 Pure Power/Pure Softness (Cleaning Supplies)

 Javana (Coffee)

 Companion (Pet Food)

 MiCasa (Hispanic Items)

 White Gem (Chicken)

 Cottontails (Diapers and Accessories)

 Guaranteed Value (Value Priced items)

 KaPop (Popcorn)

 Festingos (Tortilla Chips)

 Smart Living (General Merchandise)

 Simply Enjoy
[edit]Recent contract negotiations and complications

On February 17, 2007, the contract with Stop & Shop employees expired after three years. In an attempt to

maintain their current health care benefits, union workers threatened to strike. It was understood that no strike

would occur until at least Thursday, February 22, 2007. If a new contract was not signed by then, workers could

begin the walk out as early as Friday, February 23, 2007. Stop & Shop wanted employees to share the cost of

healthcare, but union workers believed Stop & Shop should pay it in full.[8]

Workers were paying co-payments for office visits and medical procedures, as well as deductibles of $300 for

health care costs and $2,500 for hospital costs. The grocery chain wanted to implement weekly contributions of

between $5 and $21 on top of the co-payments. These fees would increase over the course of the three-year

contract.

At midnight on February 23, 2007, grocery workers at the Stop & Shop supermarket chain in Connecticut, Rhode

Islandand Massachusetts had voted overwhelmingly to reject a contract proposal and to authorize a strike against

the grocery chain. The contracts for United Food and Commercial Workers Locals 328, 371, 919, 1445 and 1459

expired on February 17 and extended to cover until February 22, but the union and the grocery chain agreed to

expand the deadline two more days, to midnight of Saturday, February 24, 2007.[9]

Officials with Stop & Shop and the United Food and Commercial Workers continued negotiating through Friday,

March 2, 2007, extending the contract until 12:01 am Saturday, March 3, 2007, given that talks were scheduled to

continue through Friday. Both sides extended the negotiations, which resumed Monday, February 26, 2007.[10]

On Saturday, March 3, 2007, the five unions involved gave the company a very complicated and comprehensive

contract proposal that covers every aspect of their five agreements and identifies what they believe to be a fair and

equitable contract for everyone. On Wednesday, March 7, 2007, the five locals representing workers in

Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts scheduled voting on a new contract for Sunday, extending the

strike deadline for Monday, March 12, 2007. The locals delivered a comprehensive contract to Stop & Shop

negotiators Saturday and the two sides took a break from bargaining to allow the company to go over the proposal.

Approximately 43,000 unionized Stop & Shop workers in three states could have either had a new contract that

Sunday or begun walking picket lines possibly that Monday, according to union officials.[11]

The contentious stop-and-go negotiations between Stop & Shop and its five unions came to a conclusion with a

three-year contract overwhelmingly ratified by union members across New England, and a strike was averted. All

full-time workers receive an increase of $25 per week retroactive to February 17, when the previous contract

expired; then another $20 weekly increase in March 2008 and March 2009, the second and third years of the

contract. Part-timers receive an immediate 35¢-an-hour increase, also retroactive, and 35¢ yet again in years two

and three of the contract. On the issue of health care, full-time workers who are single must now contribute $5 per

week toward their health insurance premiums; married workers with spouse must pay $10, and a worker with a
family $15. Part-time workers will make no contributions toward health care premiums, retaining the current

practice which covers union workers' health insurance entirely except for co-payments and deductibles.[12]

On January 15, 2010, Mark McGowan and Ron Onorato sent a letter to employees notifying them that negotiations

had begun with five UFCW Local Unions (Locals 328, 371, 919, 1445, and 1459).[13] On March 7, 2010, Stop and

Shop and the five UFCW Local Unions agreed to a new three-year contract.[14]

[edit]Slogans

 "It's time to Stop and Shop"

 "All the Ingredients"

 "Great Food. Low Prices. Friendly Service."

[edit]Logos

Current Stop & Shop Logo

The original Stop and Shop logo used until 2008, Still used in many locations.

[edit]References

1. ^ Stop & Shop press release from Stop & Shop's website

2. ^ Bardaro, Michael Giant's Merger Hurt Morale, Executive Says."Washington Post. November 29,

2004. Retrieved on March 16, 2008.

3. ^ [1]]

4. ^ Company History - Stop & Shop

5. ^ http://www.patriotledger.com/business/x1080448841/Stop-Shop-and-sister-chain-closing-43-in-

store-Starbucks-kiosks
 6. ^ http://updates.pressherald.mainetoday.com/updates/stop-shop-backing-out-of-maine

Online shopping from home has become almost second nature. Now IBM
wants to bring Web shopping to stores.
The computing giant has donated to a retail standards body a specification that,
if widely used, will provide a standardized way to connect in-store objects, such
as kiosks and shopping carts, to Web applications. According to IBM, the
technology has the potential to dramatically shift today's shopping experience,
giving people much more information while they shop at brick-and-mortar stores.
The Association for Retail Technology Standards, or ARTS, which is affiliated with
the National Retail Federation, has accepted the IBM submission and created a
charter to build an industry standard.

If adopted by retail device manufacturers and application providers, the standard

will allow consumers to get information about products from kiosks and handheld
devices while they shop. IBM customer Stop & Shop Supermarkets is already
testing the system in a few Boston-area stores. The Stop & Shop system forms
the basis for the proposed standard.
"This is changing the nature of the shopping experience (by) wedding Web
application capability and a variety of devices," Hollis Posey, chief technical
officer of IBM's retail stores division, told CNET News.com.
Customers of the existing service use a device, called the Stop & Shop Buddy,
which has an 8.5-inch display that slots into a regular shopping cart.
The customer swipes a frequent shopping card, and the Buddy calls up the
person's shopping list, which can be sent over the Web or compiled from a
shopping history. The device will display a map of where items are.
Consumers can scan items to get an item description, as well as nutritional
information and recipes. They can also order items from the deli and use a kiosk
to check out wine selections.
The key technical leap in the Stop & Shop application is a bridge between in-
store devices and the Web. The proposed standard will give retail manufacturers
and application programmers a common way to share information between
devices in a store.
"In the past, the implementation has been device- and application-specific, so
what you wind up with chimneys of services that are difficult to integrate with
other services," Posey said.
A standard for the industry would spur the creation of more retail applications
that pull data from Web applications, Posey said. During a customer visit,
salespeople could tap into a rich store of information on complex products, such
as digital cameras, he said. Also envisioned are questionnaires that help a
salesperson through the sales process with a customer.
In donating the Web retail specification, IBM is handing over the intellectual-
property rights to ARTS.
That policy is part of IBM's stated initiative to submit intellectual property to
standards bodies and open-source communities. The company intends to
propose other industry-specific standards.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/IBM-aims-to-satisfy-data-hungry-

shoppers/2100-7345_3-5823169.html#ixzz1GsZDH1Ds