Mobile Technology: Helping, And Hurting, Sales

October 2012 Integrated Solutions For Retailers

By Bob Grabowski, retail vertical marketing manager, Honeywell Scanning and Mobility

As technology has a greater influence on retail, it is important to have an integrated technology philosophy.

Technology is not hardware, nor is it software. Technology is actually both hardware and software working in unison, and unless both parts are built with the other specifically in mind, they just sit there, dumb as stumps. For retailers, hardware and software must come together to become an integrated solution solving the business problems that get in the way of the primary objective — driving revenue and margin through the merchandising process. Anything short of helping retailers do this is a waste of effort and money.

Now that we’ve properly defined the role retail technology plays, the next realization is that all retailers are NOT created equal — and the issues that inhibit growth or drive profit for each are vastly different. The products are different. The margins are different. The segments are different. The distribution system is different. Supply chain is different. Some stores are stand-alone, family-owned neighborhood stores, while others are large chains residing in malls. Clearly, one solution cannot fit all.