October 01 2007
Editorial Approach
The new retailing
The internet has offered more than simply another channel to retailers - it:
- challenges the very way we do business
- extends our customers' expectations of us, and
- opens new opportunities for growth
Simultaneously, however, it exposes us to new competitors and the keywords of
the new retailing are:
- integration - bring online, offline, stores, contact centres and logistics together as a logical whole, focused on the customer
- agility - the ability to initiate, develop and respond quickly to market opportunities, competitive threats and changes in customer expectations
- perpetual development - there's never a "done" on the internet, and so the twin challenge is to launch as soon as possible with new developments, but then to continue to develop and improve the offering.
Requirements in the new business climate
In order to maximise the business opportunities the internet retailer needs
to master the four mains streams of internet retail:
Strategy, Customer focus, Product and service development, Operations and
logistics.
Editorial purpose.
IR will map developments in the main streams of internet retail, analysing
news and events in the sector and profiling key companies, initiatives,
suppliers, people and trends. IR will be a source of ideas, competitive
intelligence, briefing and analysis on the sector.
IR is written by experts in retail, technology, customer insight and logistics. While we are specialists we are writing for a general, knowledgeable business audience. IR is the 'watering hole', the nexus where the many professions in a modern business can meet to develop internet retailing.
