2. www.currentanalysis.com
IT IN RETAIL
IT is at the heart of retail operations and is vital for linking together bricks-and-mortar stores, eCommerce
platforms, warehouses, suppliers and customers. Various software, hardware and IT services are
needed for efficiently moving around assets, interacting with customers and keeping payment and
ordering systems running. Retailers are increasingly under pressure to compete against new market
entrants as the retail environment is becoming more IT- and data-driven while margins for traditional
merchandise sales are declining. In this context, retailers face a major digital transformation challenge
and need to invest in value-creating systems, services and platforms rather than seeing IT as a cost
center.
As lifestyles and shopping habits are transforming, driven by convenience and the continuous
emergence of eCommerce across all retail segments, customers are expecting a seamless experience
across channels and higher service levels. Retailers’ brand reputations are increasingly influenced by the
ease of getting advice and purchasing goods from anywhere on any device or in stores, through different
purchasing combinations, which may include Click & Collect and a variety of payment methods. These
need to be supported by a robust IT infrastructure, especially because the non-availability of products
and the collapse of systems at peak times are no longer seen as acceptable. Therefore, retailers need to
architect their systems in a reliable and scalable way that is appropriate for their specific needs and does
not break the bank. The trend is towards greater integration and better disaster recovery and failover
solutions that often include the usage of public cloud resources and software as a service (SaaS).
Retailers are also competing for customer experience in-store which can drive the adoption of the latest
technologies such as virtual reality, robotics, smart vending machines and interactive terminals. A range of
Internet of Things (IoT) type devices can also be deployed in stores and warehouses to provide
information about the store environment and better understand customer behavior. By collecting a wealth
of data as part of Big Data initiatives, customers can be served more efficiently and targeted with real-time
marketing activities. The need for creating value from large data volumes leads to further buildouts and
upgrades of IT infrastructure in retailers’ stores and data centers, driving the adoption of the latest server,
storage, networking and digital point-of-sale (POS) systems.
3. www.currentanalysis.com
IT SYSTEMS AFFECT ALL AREAS OF RETAIL
IT systems are at the center of retail transactions, affecting internal and external communications,
operations management, business planning and marketing. These systems include server, storage
and networking hardware in retailers’ data centers or on-site, as well as various software that is
needed for managing processes, payments, inventory and analytics. These can also run in the cloud,
or can be fully outsourced to a third party.
Data collection technologies such as Wi-Fi, iBeacon, sensors, cameras and RFID tags provide
environmental information about stores and warehouses, while a wealth of data is generated by
eCommerce operations, POS systems and the various IT systems themselves in the form of log files.
External sources including customers, suppliers and social media interact with the retailer via IT
systems. Market data is fed into the systems for analysis, and outputs are used for marketing and
business planning purposes by the retailer’s various business units.
4. www.currentanalysis.com
THE CURRENT ANALYSIS SERVICEIT IN RETAIL
Current Analysis enables IT vendors, retailers and channel partners to play to their strengths and
position themselves in the context of transformational pace and scale:
Current Analysis uses a variety of research methods with a combination of top-down and bottom-up
approaches in order to get a complete view of the market. Data from our detailed IT technology
database is complemented with retail segment specific insight from our partner firm Verdict Retail. In-
depth insight is generated based on our end-user survey, vendor and retailer interviews, as well as
over 31,700 retailer profiles and a database of 900 IT services contracts, which are all regularly
updated.
Understand changing business requirements in retail
Assess the IT implications of major trends and customers’ pain points
Benchmark against best practices for retail specific solutions
Understand why competing vendors’ solutions were chosen for use cases
Get a better view of retailers’ spending objectives, buying behaviour and influencers to target
Target specific retail segments, geographies and technologies based on our forecasts
Assist in shaping the future vision for products and solutions.
5. www.currentanalysis.com
Our database includes country-level data for 30 countries globally, and coverage is also provided on a
regional basis for EMEA, North America, LATAM and APAC:
Current Analysis segments the IT in Retail market primarily into the categories listed below. More in-
depth insight is provided for IT segments as part of our retailer profiles and reports concerning
selected technologies including Big Data, the Internet of Things (IoT), data center hardware, cloud
and POS systems.
Apparel, Electrical, Food/Grocery, Furniture, Health &
Beauty, Home & Garden, Music & Video, Books,
Sports Equipment
Convenience Stores, Department Stores,
Hypermarkets, Vending Machines, Online, Specialist,
Value/Variety/General, Cash & Carry
EMEA, APAC, North America, LATAM
30 countries + ‘rest of’ regions
Consulting/BPO, Cloud, Communications, Hardware,
Software, IT Services
6. www.currentanalysis.com
Enterprise applications, security, business intelligence and cloud computing are top
priorities for retailers regarding IT investment in the next two years
Source: Current Analysis end-user survey 4Q14, n = 238 IT decision makers in retail
Cloud services will see the strongest rise in investments by retailers globally with a
CAGR of 42% (2015-2019), followed by software (10%) and BPO services (6%).
Source: Current Analysis 2016
-
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Software
IT Services
IT Hardware
Enterprise Communications
Services
Cloud Services
BPO Services
ICT market
size, $US
millions
7. www.currentanalysis.com
Retailers are at different stages in their technology adoption lifecycle
Source: Current Analysis, 2016
Retailers’ IT budgets are scattered around functions: Data centers and the network
have the largest share but applications are rising in importance
Source: Current Analysis end-user survey 4Q14, n = 238 IT decision makers in retail
8. www.currentanalysis.com
PLACING IN CONTEXTRETAIL IT
Our coverage is geared towards supporting vendors, retailers and channel partners to plan ahead,
while reacting to market events as they unfold.
Our in-depth IT strategic insight reports contextualize enterprise grade technology within a retail
setting, providing rich insight for vendors working to consolidate their position and plan their next
moves. Annual surveys on ICT investment plans underpin our detailed five year market opportunity
forecasts, by product group and individual country.
Detailed assessments regarding market trends in retail IT focus on four pillars that provide a
complementary mix of data sets, retailer profiles, market studies, commentary reports and case
studies. The overarching theme of our research is digital transformation including the omnichannel
experience that focuses on retailers’ key aim of improving customer loyalty.
We provide commentary as market events unfold: M&A activity; the partnerships and alliances
formed; influences from adjacent markets and other sectors.
Throughout the year our team is on hand to provide regular commentary via quarterly webinars,
ongoing analyst support, and independent advisory services specific to respective vendors.
9. www.currentanalysis.com
IT IN RETAIL PORTFOLIO: DETAILED REPORTS DELIVERED THROUGHOUT 2016
STRATEGIC INSIGHT REPORTS
1. Global Retail Innovations (April)
2. Digital Wallets 2016 (May)
3. Omnichannel Retail 2016 (May)
4. Customer Experience Personalization in Retail (May)
5. BHS – Is this major British retailer’s failure due to its digital and IT strategy? (June)
6. In-Store Analytics: How High-Street Retailers Can Fight Back Against Pure eTailers
(June)
7. Big Data in Retail – Opportunities and Challenges with a Market Forecast (July)
8. Internet of Things (IoT) in Retail – Technologies and Use Cases (September)
9. Social Media in Retail – Best Practices and Opportunities (October)
10. Retailers’ Data Center Landscape and Cloud Services Usage (December)
Global Retail Innovations
CATALYST
Retailers are under constant pressure to innovate and get ahead of the competition. In this report
Current Analysis shares its view on the latest innovations utilized by retailers across the world. The
main focus is on technologies and approaches for effectively engaging consumers across platforms
including mobile and social media, virtual and augmented reality, and in-store and online displays.
Digital Wallets 2016
CATALYST
Various new payment methods are emerging, and customers are increasingly demanding that
retailers support their preferred method. Digital Wallets have evolved into an established payment
function that can be used online as well as in stores. This report depicts the business challenges
faced by the retail sector in the digital wallet domain along with the latest technology trends.
Moreover, key opportunity areas are identified for IT vendors in the digital wallet space.
10. www.currentanalysis.com
Omnichannel Retail 2016
CATALYST
Providing customers with a seamless omnichannel experience is a major challenge and focus area for
retailers, which drives the implementation of more sophisticated infrastructure and analytics across all
channels in order to integrate these. This report discusses the related business challenges for
retailers along with the recent trends in this technology domain. The report identifies the key
opportunity areas for IT vendors in the omnichannel space.
Customer Experience Personalization in Retail
CATALYST
Personalized customer experience can drive sales and customer loyalty, and can also lead to better
insight into customers’ preferences. This report summarizes the business challenges faced by the
retail sector in the customer experience personalization domain along with the recent trends in this
space. Key opportunity areas for IT vendors in the customer experience personalization space are
also identified to help them target retailers in this area.
BHS – Is this major British retailer’s failure due to its digital and IT strategy?
CATALYST
Retailers that do not sufficiently invest into their digital strategy and IT systems are likely to be driven
out of business due to the changing nature of competition and customer expectations over time. In
this context, this commentary outlines the reasons behind BHS’s failure as an example for a failed
strategy that resulted in the retailer being placed into administration and the closure of its UK stores.
The impact of IT on the business is evaluated, and the level of investment and choice of systems is
put into the context of BHS’ gradual decline in sales and the resulting financial struggles.
In-Store Analytics: How High-Street Retailers Can Fight Back Against Pure eTailers
CATALYST
This commentary discusses how retailers can benefit from in-store analytics solutions in order to bring
the competitive advantage of online retail to their physical stores. Different approaches and
technologies are evaluated, including in-store Wi-Fi and iBeacons, and customer use cases are
outlined.
11. www.currentanalysis.com
Big Data in Retail: Opportunities and Challenges
CATALYST
Big Data and Analytics provide substantial opportunities for traditional retailers and eTailers since
they already have a wealth of data that can be used for analytics to optimize processes, increase
sales and launch new services. Detailed customer profiles can be built on Big Data, cost savings can
be achieved through supply chain efficiencies and superior customer experience offered, which can
lift the brand image. This report discusses the business and technology challenges in this context,
outlines use cases and provides a market forecast until 2020 by retail sub-sector and IT segments.
Internet of Things (IoT) in Retail – Technologies and Use Cases
CATALYST
Smart store concepts form the future of retail, with many connected ‘things’ that collect data and
communicate with each other, the data center, staff and customers via various devices. This report
discusses the IoT technologies applied by retailers in stores and warehouses including Wi-Fi,
sensors, cameras, iBeacon, virtual reality and robotics. Use cases and a forecast until 2020 are
provided, as well as advice on how to target retailers and overcome current challenges relating to
technologies, business cases, data protection and customers’ preferences.
Social Media in Retail – Best Practices and Opportunities
CATALYST
Social media provides retailers with endless opportunities to gather data about the market, individual
customers and their preferences, and communicate with them in order to market products and
increase loyalty. However, this is far from easy and data is often in an unstructured format. Data
protection issues and customer preferences limit interactions on a customer level. This report
discusses established best practices used by retailers in this context and provides guidance regarding
targeting retailers with social media focused analytics and communications solutions.
12. www.currentanalysis.com
Retailers’ Data Center Landscape and Cloud Services Usage
CATALYST
Retailers use various types of software and applications that keep their operations running, process
sales, keep records of customers and inventory, and run a range of analytics solutions. These require
a robust IT infrastructure including servers for running applications, storage for data warehouses, and
networking between locations. Resources are increasingly moving to cloud services including SaaS,
PaaS and IaaS. This report discusses the challenges faced by retailers in this context and provides a
forecast for cloud services usage in comparison with traditional data center hardware deployments.
COUNTRY-SPECIFIC REPORTS
1. Consumer Attitudes and Online Retail Dynamics in Germany, 2014-2019 (January)
2. Retailing in Canada – Market Summary and Forecasts (February)
3. Retailing in Indonesia – Market Summary and Forecasts (April)
4. The Future of Retailing to 2020 series (April): Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil,
Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Russia,
South Africa, South Korea, Spain, UK
