2009: What Went Wrong? 2010: What's Going Right?

Hang on, folks; only a few more weeks until we're singing "Auld Lang Syne," though I'm sure more than a few of us will be a little off-key at the expense of (cheap) champagne. It was a tough year, but if you haven't been driven out of business or fallen prey to a debilitating state of alcohol abuse as a result, there's cause for optimism in 2010. This report gives us pause to first reminisce a while on what went wrong in 2009 before reflecting on the technology and operations strategies that will pull us from the rubble in 2010.

How do retailers intend to dig their way out from under the wreckage of a weighty 2009? Promotions are part and parcel to the plan. When we asked our subscribers and users of retailsolutionsonline.com about their investment plans for 2010, we gave them 36 options, divided into 6 categories, and asked them to check all that apply. Though "marketing & promotions" was an option under the fifth of those six categories, it was a runaway leader, with 64.7% of our 385 respondents indicating they planned to invest there.

Download this report for complete details of "What Went Wrong In 2009" and "What's Going Right" as we move closer to 2010.