IntroductionIn Western markets, retail industry growth has dropped to one of the slowest rates of modern times and consequently the role of IT has become increasingly important for improving business performance.
This brief outlines the role of SOA and modern store-front technology in delivering competitive advantage and how SMBs can leverage technology in the wake of retail internationalization.ScopeThe brief provides global data, but focuses primarily on the European and North American markets, drawing on case studies from these regions Focus will be on the growth of eRetailing and also the impact of technology developments on SMB retailers Technologies covered in the report include SOA integration, RFID and digital signage Data from online surveys with 90 CIOs/CTOs and 100 business decision-makersHighlightsIncreased earnings and a soaring number of internet users has led to significant growth in online retail sales and this is a key area that retailers must concentrate their energies on domestically to combat the slower growth in shops.
For the larger players, expanding operations into international markets is also a key strategy.
The advance of multi-channel retailing and its relevance for service orientation has helped the growth of SOA integration approaches, however as an increasing number of retailers invest in their web offering, growth in SOA can be sustained into the mid-term.
Key to this is offering scalable solutions for SMBs.
As IT strategies becomes increasingly integrated with overall business strategy, vendors will need to help retail CIOs demonstrate ROI to senior management.
To do this, emphasis will need to be placed on customized solutions aligned to the vertical market and attention will have to be given to deepening partner relationships with retailers.Reasons to PurchaseIdentify the key trends occurring in the retail market in 2007 and how retail decision makers are both driving and responding to these Understand the technologies being employed in both large retail enterprises and SMBs Gain insight into the future direction of the retail market and the implications for vendors