News

Report: Economy prompts major change in retail merchandising

August 31, 2011

RSR Research, an analyst firm providing market intelligence on retail technology trends, has announced the results of its latest research report, "Twenty-first Century Merchandising Takes Hold: Benchmark 2011." The research finds that while most retailers report their current merchandising abilities to meet newly-empowered consumers' needs as "average," the best performers are making huge strides to pull away from the pack.

These findings are based on a survey of 82 qualified retailers in the summer of 2011. The report can be downloaded at http://www.retailsystemsresearch.com/_document/summary/1335. The report was sponsored by Oracle and SAS, with supporting sponsorship from DemandTec and Predictix.

"Three significant developments have driven the shift in merchandising," said Paula Rosenblum, Managing Partner at RSR Research and co-author of the report. "1) Continued exponential increases in computing power makes once theoretical SKU-intensive calculations practical, 2) A new breed of merchant has emerged who is comfortable with technology and at ease with handing over once 'sacred' tasks to the mechanics of the computer, and 3) An erratic global economy has created so much uncertainty in both commodity prices and their impact on demand that the entire retail enterprise has to work together to mitigate potential impacts."