In 2014, Stores Are The Ultimate Omni-Channel Platform

By Alexander Pellow, solutions director, stores and commerce, Oracle Retail

December 2013 Integrated Solutions For Retailers

Retailers are shaping IT systems to erase the line between mobile, e-commerce, and in-store transactions.

Engaging consumers on their mobile devices and offering locationbased incentives will bring more shoppers into stores for immediate or “buy online, pick up in store” fulfillment models in the year ahead. It’s a dynamic that places mobile marketing, geolocation, e-commerce, and managing the customer experience among the top priorities for more retailers than any other category surveyed in the Integrated Solutions For Retailers 2014 Retail Tech Spending Survey.

Smartphones and tablet computers are the key to serving today’s savvy shoppers for frontline store employees. These mobile devices equip store associates with rich information and enable them to provide shoppers with better service and faster, more convenient transactions. Consumers are quick to appreciate the difference, and retailers are scrambling to meet new expectations as shoppers emerge from mobile-inspired experiences in other stores.