Shop X: Using technology for competitive differentiation in high-street retail (Strategy Focus)

Profit margins within the retail sector are being pushed down due to a variety of factors including the pressures of globalization, issues such as the relaxation of trade tariffs and the deregulation of domestic economies. In face of rising operational costs and razor slim profit margins, retailers are using technology to increase operational efficiency and counterbalance soaring costs.



Report Highlights
Due to cost restrictions most new technologies are restricted to tier 1 retailers. In order to achieve the greatest ROI possible and thus increase the chance of uptake, vendors and retailers should work closely in order to establish relationships that will enable them to develop the most pertinent technologies. One of the greatest objections NFC vendors are likely to face in convincing retailers to implement NFC technology is the excessive interchange fees that retailers pay to banks and card companies for processing each transaction. Technology vendors and retailers should work together to exert pressure on banks to cut these.
[Studien Infos ausblenden]

DATAMONITOR VIEW 1
CATALYST 1
SUMMARY 1
ANALYSIS 2
RFID provides more effective management of retail assets 2
Failing to achieve expected penetration - what vendors can do 2
Although RFID prices are falling, vendors and supply chain companies are still subsidizing retailers 2
Case study: Gillette razors have implemented an excellent example of a closed loop application 3
RFID can be integrated with other applications 4
Case study: Marks and Spencers demonstrates the importance of a careful cost benefit analysis 4
Companies are using 'slap and ship' tagging to comply with retailer mandates 5
NFC is an ideal payment method for industries in which speed is essential 5
Problems facing vendors of NFC technology 7
Digital Signage is a highly effective advertising platform 7
Case study: Wal-Mart's digital signage system is an excellent example of narrowcasing 8
To increase ROI and drive uptake vendors should integrate digital signage with other applications 8
Self service check outs provide a solution to employee shortage's 9
Loss of impulse buys must be considered when calculating ROI 11
Digital signage vendors should integrate BI offerings into technology offerings 11
ACTIONS 12
RFID 12
NFC 12
Digital signage 12
Self service 12
APPENDIX 13
Definitions 13
RFID - Radio Frequency Identification 13
Methodology 13
Further reading 13
Ask the analyst 14
Datamonitor consulting 14
Disclaimer 14
[Inhaltsverzeichnis ausblenden]

Figure 1: How NFC works 6
Figure 2: Self service check out 10
[Tabellenverzeichnis ausblenden]