Page 266 - DMGT550_RETAIL_MANAGEMENT

Unit 14: Information System in Retailing

Mart will most likely adapt to the changes and survive. One day you may enter a Wal-Mart store Notes
to receive a doctor’s examination and have your solar-powered SUV detailed, while listing to a
Garth Brooks comeback concert.

Vision

The future of electronic retail is indeed the future of retail. However, electronic shopping will
transcend the mere transaction and become a pillar of daily virtual activities. Online purchasing
activities will be only a part of a new e-lifestyle. It is the transition and acceptance of the virtual
world as part our concrete world that will allow e-shopping to conquer the retail consumer
market. Electronic shopping will be faster and cheaper. It will be a time-liberator. The retail
power of the Internet will be the catalyst of a new e-lifestyle age that will enable people to be
more social, recreational, and fulfilled that appeals to ones social needs, entertainment needs,
creativity, and curiosity. Retailers will have to provide an almost elitist shopping
Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
4. ........................ stores do not have standardized designs in comparison to the physical retail
stores and product catalogs.

5. Not all customers have access to the web, as they do to the ........................ system.
6. As ........................ becomes the most sensible alternative to procuring needed goods and
services, consumers will abandon their traditional views of shopping.

7. Different ........................ have numerous compatibilities and restrictions.
8. The ........................ benefit of online commerce is its ability to interact with the customers.
9. The ........................ of electronic retail is indeed the future of retail.
10. The importance of formulating a ........................ is understood by all small and big retailers.

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Case Study Information Systems in the Consumer Industry

his case study is about a small-medium sized apparel company retail division. This
company, as it often happens, started on the idea of a specific line of products and
Tlater approached the retail channel in a naive way. The retail story began with the
need of liquidating the company surplus in a company outlet; this was not enough so the
company approached the outlets circuit. At this point it did happen that the product offer
was not balanced to make a good service to the customer so the company had the need to
work with the stock channel to get rid of what was left over.
By that time the company thought it has developed a culture of “retail” so it made a
decision to approach the wholesale market with mono-brand locations and/or shop-in-
shop experience in the department stores.
Almost always such a change implies a large item offer so the initial “product” idea
spread over a “total look” vision with its corresponding design and production problems.
The company we are talking about moved from an offer of about 150 samples to about 500
pieces thus multiplying by three the whole paperwork.
Contd....

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