Why EDI Is Important To The Merchant

Merchandising is the life-blood of a retailer. The collective merchandising community, whether the divisional mer-chandise manager, buyer, planner, analyst, or executive is constantly under immense pressure to drive performance. The merchant is always aware of the competitive land-scape in the marketplace and his or her influence to gain competitive advantage by presenting a compelling assort-ment, at the right price point, with a convenient and easy shopping experience.

A retailer's performance is judged by the public in a variety of ways. The retailer is given a report card by its customers—usually daily. The custom-er votes with his or her wallet based on having the right product, in the right place, at the right time, and at the right price point. Publicly traded retailers will report revenue, cost-of-goods sold, and the amount of inventory on the books. These statements become fodder for Wall Street analysts to project, and occasionally opine, the fortunes or losses of the investors and employees of the retail company. Whether by the consumer or by Wall Street the tendered vote is often a direct response to the performance of the merchant.