Information Technology And Retail Strategy

Used for converting documents to electronic files, scanners are a useful way of reducing paper-based filing.

The scanner is used to scan paper documents and put them onto the computer so

Scanners: They are used to convert a document or image into an electronic file that can be used and stored on a computer, Sometime scanners are part of a printer but usually scanners that are the most efficient are small scanners that can be attached to a computer through an USB cable they can scan single sided or double sided documents very fast. They can scan in colour or in black and white. Scanners are essential when a company needs to keep hard copy of their files in law firm in a medical environment or in an accountancy department.

Changing technology may affect the demand for a firm’s products and services but on the other hand due to technology businesses can have systems that provides faster services like the retail businesses have systems that does stock control, cash and customer service.

The retail sectors are specializing in the selling of products that the consumers need in specific times and places. However, it is hardly the retailer's responsibility to produce the goods. The retailers just act agents, as they get the products to the consumers. Industrial retailing will focus more on the sale of small quantities of the products to the buyers. Transformational processes are not integrated in the retailing processes, as the retailers neither produce nor manufacture any goods. Initially, retailing was just transacted in stores and shop. Presently, technological upgrades and developments have affected the retailing process positively, leading to the use of electronics to do transactions. In most cases, the retailers will transact with cash specifically during payment of the products (Retail Council of Canada, 2009).

Recent advancements in technology offer the organizations of today and the future boundless opportunities for improvements in service delivery. Although experts agree that the alignment of technology and the overall business strategy is both necessary and imperative, no clear path to optimum alignment exists. Christopher Nuckles, a IT Director I interviewed demonstrated full awareness of this fact. he and the company’s CIO, Matt Carey, and the executive IT leaders and displayed optimism the “interconnected retail strategy” they have for the company will ensure that Home Depot remains the product authority for home improvement. As part of the technical team that developed, enhanced, or supported several of the technological systems at Home Depot, Nuckles believes that the key to a successful technological future is innovation. Nuckles recognizes that the biggest hurdle for the Home Depot technology is the emerging e-commerce and he adds that Home Depot is ready for the boom. He explains that plans are underway to optimize the Home Depot mobile application entirely and make it available on all platforms so that the company remains relevant as technology keeps advancing.

Scanner data, Loyalty card data, Web Shopping provide bring significant new capabilities to the customer service in the grocery industry. All of these innovations were crucial components for a modern grocery store. They unified by an information system platform which supported the daily running of the entire store. Scanner data was the fundamental of the whole system. All the products in the store will be digitalized

The Internet has changed the way we do virtually everything, including the way we shop. However, shopping is not the only thing that has changed. In the last decade we have changed the way, we apply for loans, study, and even plan a vacation. Doing any of these things would have been impossible a few decades ago. At present, online banking, paying bills, ordering new services, and shopping online have become part of our daily lives. Traditional brick-and-mortar stores have been around much longer than online stores, but we cannot deny that online shopping is giving the traditional stores competition. Many consumers still choose to shop at regular brick-and-mortar stores because they like to see and

Retail stores, are one of the biggest and largest businesses around the world. They produce thousands of hundreds in revenues and they are some of the biggest employers industries. WALL-MART, IKEA, TESCO, ARGOS, MACYS, WALLGREENS and OFICCE DEPOT are some of the well-known retail stores that supply us every day with different kind of goods and services. For a better understanding, one of the main definitions of retail is: “...store commonly a shop or stall for the retail sale of commodities, but also a place where wholesale supplies are kept, exhibited, or sold…” What this means

1. RedLaser- RedLaser can be used to scan the barcode of any product with your smartphone’s camera, and it will automatically check thousands of online and offline retailers to find you better deals.

Today’s customers are more aware and empowered, and have more bargaining power due to the exponential increase in competition – direct, indirect or substitute. In retailing, they want hassle-free shopping, have less time at their disposal to locate the shop and the merchandise and are reluctant to keep waiting. The modern format retail stores are doing their best to anticipate the customer’s demands and are going all out to redesign their store interiors, offer more choices in varieties and assortments, and are giving as many services as feasible.

and economies of scale. With the introduction of self scanning in some stores it reduced its cost and provided better services to the consumer. Waitrose reduced costs in many ways, for example the internal transport system of Waitrose with the help of high end technology reduced their gas cost and saved a lot of money. This internal factor was used by Waitrose for maximum benefit.

Smart phones are allowing customers to shop with their phones inside stores; credit cards are accepted via phones vs. cash registers. Technology brings online shopping vs. in store shopping. And, advertising is popping up on smart phones as electronic messages as customers shop based on their location. Service is defiantly the key to keep a customer coming into a department store.

Barcodes are used everywhere around us. They are used to track products through shipment, track products at a store and speed up and enhance the checkout process, as well as allowing faster access to information. Barcodes began to be used heavily in the 1970’s. This began a great movement in the consumer industry, speeding up the checkout process and allowing easier inventory tracking. However, just like all technologies, barcodes have been enhanced many times over and are being replaced by better, more efficient systems (Bonsor).

The traditional retail market has been transformed by technological advances. The internet today has allowed consumers to purchase various products from home ranging from apparel to groceries. The online shopping market has grown significantly within the past decade, leading to many online e-commerce startups such as Amazon, eBay, and mobile start-ups such as Instacart. While e-commerce provides convenience for shopping, it has created major disruption to the traditional shopping industries. Traditional retailers have since faced bankruptcy due to their inability to compete with such start-ups. The traditional American toy store, Toys R Us, announced its state of bankruptcy just last month due to a significant decline in sales. More and more consumers are turning to online giants such as Amazon to purchase daily items as a result of convenience. According to the Washington Post, Toys R Us is just one of more than 300 retailers to file for bankruptcy this year, as Americans ditch the shopping mall in favor of their laptops, smartphones, and tablets (Bhattarai, 2017). Shopping which used to require walking or a vehicle trip to stores is no longer required for consumers with online shopping. Online shopping has appealed to consumers worldwide by encompassing the business aspect of service convenience which constitute saving time and/or effort (Jiang, Yang, and Jun, 2012). For consumers whom have busy lives and those whom are physically disabled, online shopping is a positive