Hollywood, Fla. (March 23, 2009)—Because the LEED suite of rating systems is the most commonly accepted benchmark for green building in the U.S., the Association for Retail Environments is taking the lead in educating the retail environments industry on LEED basics. A.R.E. offers the following tools:

• Introduction to LEED: Everything You Need to Know But Were Afraid to Ask—This beginner-level A.R.E. University webinar, archived from Feb. 26, 2009, provides an elementary overview of what LEED is and corrects misconceptions that are common in the industry.
• LEED for Retail: What’s It All About?—This GlobalShop conference session on March 24 describes implications of the rating system specific to retail through the eyes of two leading retailers who have been using the pilot version, with a U.S. Green Building Council official moderating.
• LEED Credit Contributions Toward Compliance—This chapter in Sustainable Retail Environments: Product Guidelines and Operational Best Practices explains the requirements of credits that fixtures, displays, and materials can contribute toward.
• Green Guide—Both the Fall.Winter 2008 and Spring.Summer 2009 issues of this resource publication contain LEED-specific articles.

Click here to download press release. (129KB)

About A.R.E.
Members of the Association for Retail Environments, formerly NASFM, are retail environments professionals and proven industry leaders—companies that are well known for excellent craftsmanship, topflight service, and cutting–edge innovation. Member companies offer a full range of products and services for retail environments, and include store fixture suppliers, retail design firms, suppliers of visual merchandising products, and suppliers of materials and equipment for the retail environments industry. Member capabilities include importing, exporting, consolidating, installing, project management, engineering, design, and more.