The Inevitable Tradeshow Question

By Matt Pillar, Editor In Chief, Retail Solutions Online/Integrated Solutions For Retailers magazine

Live from New York, it's... day one of the NRF BIG Show. I've been in town for pre-show events since Saturday morning, and though the exhibit hall opened mere minutes ago, I've already been asked the inevitable question at least a dozen times. "Have you seen anything that really stands out this year?" The question has almost become cliché at tradeshows. It's something I expect to be asked at any given time, and as such, I feel obligated to have an answer handy. Sometimes I simply don't, and when I do, pragmatic as I am, my response sometimes disappoints.

Tradeshows of this magnitude (500ish vendors) are full of cool stuff, but in order to qualify as standout in my view, there must be real-world, widespread application for the technology in today's retail environment. It's a criterion that simply can't be ignored. This rules out much of the whiz-bang technology that peppers the hall at NRF's BIG Show.

That said, yesterday I saw a Sterling Commerce application, currently in pilot, that oozes practicality, meets a longstanding market need, and toes the whiz-bang line. It's a store associate-level mobile application, run on an Apple device (iPhone, iTouch), that's designed to empower associates with real-time, cross-channel inventory visibility at the SKU-level. But what's really cool about the app is what it enables the associate to do with that visibility. Built to help retailers create convenience for their customers, the application saves sales by not only locating SKU-specific merchandise within the enterprise and regardless of channel, but facilitating the sale and fulfillment of the order via any means the customer chooses. If the item she desires is in another store, or in a DC or warehouse, the associate can confirm the product's availability and even complete the transaction via the mobile device, giving the customer her choice of in-store pickup or home delivery.

Says Sterling's cross-channel evangelist Jim Bengier, "Deloitte research shows that by 2012, more than 40% of retail sales will be cross-channel in nature. Our store associate mobile solutions enable retailers to optimize the customer buying experience by providing more choice in when, where, and how product, inventory, and order information is accessed to enhance customer convenience and improve revenue potential."

There are some quid-pro-quos. One of a handful of free apps available to iPhone-enabled retailers, the solution is only available to those running Sterling's Order Management platform, and it's not yet widely available. But as an out-of-stock slayer, it is widely applicable. You can see more at www.sterlingcommerce.com/products/mobility.htm.

The show has only just begun, so stay tuned to www.retailsolutionsonline.com for updates and complete post-show coverage.