Retailers' Merchandising Opportunities

November 2012 Integrated Solutions For Retailers

By Steve Rowen, managing partner, RSR Research

The consumer’s new power is undeniable, and any insight that helps retailers predict what she’ll want more effectively — sometimes before she even knows it — is the top opportunity to improving current merchandise processes.

A unique combination of forces, including continued economic uncertainty, the omni-channel phenomenon powered by the consumerization of IT, the emergence of a new generation of merchants, and retail’s brand globalization have driven the industry to one conclusion: localized assortments driven by customer and store attributes are necessary to support the best possible sales while controlling inventory and costs. Little doubt remains that the art and science of retail merchandising have changed irrevocably.