Tech Spending 2014: Responding To The Consumer Influence

By Matt Pillar, chief editor

December 2013 Integrated Solutions For Retailers

2014 retail technology budgets are strongly influenced by consumers’ newfound control of where, when, and how they shop — and how much they pay.

Retail technology budget building isn’t what it used to be. Not long ago, technology spending decisions traced a direct path from CIO to CFO to the board of directors. Today, these decisions are being driven by a much larger board of consumers, pushed down to the CMO who answers to that board and implemented with the blessing of the CFO and the assistance of the CIO. The consumer is calling the shots, and the newly empowered CMO is listening.