Reflexis changed its logo earlier this week. I’d like you to know the why and the what.

In September of 2001, I was trying to follow my wife’s instructions to get the right pasta for dinner. I needed help and went looking for the store manager, but the manager was busy, stuck in the back room doing paperwork. Curious, I went to other stores in the neighborhood and the scene played out almost the same, whether it was pencils, power tools, or TVs.

It seemed ridiculous to me; why would the store manager, often the best salesperson, be doing back-office tasks instead of making sales and working with customers at peak hours? I decided to do something to fix it.

I founded a company called Reflexis.

We wanted to help retailers match their corporate strategy to store-level execution. Stores really are the lifeblood of retail, where the immediacy, the efficiency, the service, the impulse, and the fun of retail come together to provide customers with the brand experience they desire. I could easily see what this specific technology could do for the retail store, how it could bridge the gap between retail strategy and execution.

We conceptualized this idea in our original logo.

The reflected words were symbolic of the ideal reflection of strategy and execution. The two curved halves of the swoosh, as well as the color gradient of the blue, symbolized the complex human element of retail, the idea that retail execution doesn’t happen in straight, simple lines.

And so we followed through on this idea, using real-time store operations and workforce management solutions to streamline corporate-to-store communication, improve the line of sight for field managers, and simplify work for stores. In doing this, we helped stores eliminate retail complexity, giving retailers the ability to be more efficient and productive than ever before. Today, over 260 retail brands not only use, but love our software.

As retail evolved, so has its challenges. However, we are convinced that successful retailers of tomorrow will be retailers of today. What sets brick-and-mortar retailers apart from retailers that primarily utilize online channels? It’s the individual customer service that an employee can provide, the human element of retail. It’s the personal touch. Store associates give customers the assurance that they’re not just another person in the store, that the experience they’re receiving is personalized to them and to their history with the brand. With Reflexis real-time task management solutions and workforce management solutions, as well as with mobile devices, store associates are more capable of providing that personalized service.

Reflexis will continue to make the work of the store associate simpler and happier by improving the line of sight of field managers and by streamlining corporate operations. Store associates make retail in the new world, not in online channels. In our new logo, we emphasize the store associate, the blue check-mark a sign of success, the ability to deliver a perfect customer experience and happier personal outcomes.

By empowering your store associates with the tools to succeed, Reflexis helps retailers go forth and conquer.