IT is the future of multichannel retailing

IRCE 2008 Conference Multi-Media CD-ROM

Retailers serious about about tying all three sales channels together need to integrate business operations in all three divisions to truly become multichannel. To help retailers restructure their business, vendors such as Wakefield, Mass.-based MarketMAX are offering integrated software solutions that combine merchandise planning and financial expectations across all channels so retailers can see where customers are shopping and tailor their buying based on channel demands. Gene Gselle, chief marketing officer at MarketMAX, says retailers are relieved it doesn`t look like the dot-coms are going to take over their business on the Net. "But it`s also a wake-up call that retailers have got to get this right," he says, noting most online players today are brick-and-mortar retailers who realize they need a multichannel strategy to engage customers wherever they want to shop. "Our booth was packed at the National Retail Federation`s Big Show in New York City," he says. "Retailer`s information technology spending is not being cut this year--it`s the future."