04
EDITOR’SCOMMENT
RETAILTECHNOLOGY
Positioning retail tech
Editor
Miya Knights
e: mknights@bpl-business.com
t: 07810 648 706
for the upturn
Publisher
Simon Turton
falling open market rent options are becoming
e: sturton@bpl-business.com played out, it observed.
t: 01895 454 603
I
t’s that year-end season again, where
retailers count their pennies and the
Chancellor counts our pounds. However, it’s However, as we in the tech industry
Consultant Editor
not often that I think I would have good cause know only too well, this is where automation
Chris Field
e: c½ eld@retailtechnology.co.uk
to feel we all deserve a pat on the back for and process-centric management comes in.
t: 01435 873 377
surviving 2009 so far. Through well-deployed and managed systems,
Advertising
If you feel like you’ve been in the wars, retailers have the opportunity to drive their
Simon Turton at least there should be some consolation business forward through this recession in a
e: sturton@bpl-business.com
in knowing no one is going through these leaner, more agile and effective way – but not
t: 01895 454 603
recessionary times alone. And, if some industry without cost, effort and masses amounts of
Chairman
barometers are to be believed, the retail management buy-in.
Chris Boeree
e: cboeree@bpl-business.com
technology market is faring better in the In the spirit of leading by example, our new
Design
ongoing economic storm better than most. bi-monthly format will not sacri½ ce some of
Whitewater GFX Here, I should say a word or two about the popular annual feature areas our readers
e: admin@whitewatergfx.co.uk
Retail Technology itself. I’ve already said that have become used to. We’ve included three
t: 08452 998596
everyone is being affected by the current features this issue instead of two, which
Circulation & Subscriptions
economic situation. Apart from the fact that focus foursquare on exactly the areas where
e: circ@wdis.co.uk
t: 0208 606 7300
retail technologists are understandably – and technology has the potential to deliver
Subscriptions
actually, quite positively – too busy to rest on maximum bene½ t in tough times: the three
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their laurels right now, we’ve taken a pragmatic ‘Ps’ of processes, power and printing; alongside
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decision that the magazine will be able to mobile, as the next frontier for enabling
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position itself more effectively for the future by communication’s ability to revolutionise the
Retail Technology
moving to a bi-monthly format until the end way we interact.
3rd Floor, Armstrong House,
38 Market Square, Uxbridge,
of the year. It is those retailers that are ready to
Middlesex, UB8 1LH, UK
Let’s hope the upturn is on its way, as embrace change by using technology with a
t: 01895 454411
the KPMG/Synovate Retail Think Tank (RTT) measured, consistent approach that will be
f: 01895 454413
recently declared that the rate of decline was the ones to position themselves best for the
www.retailtechnology.co.uk
slowing and beginning to ‘bottom out,’ on period following the worst of this recession.
Reasonable care is taken to unveiling its latest Retail Health Index (RHI).
avoid errors in this magazine
Being a group of leading industry ½ gures, who
Miya Knights
but no liability is accepted for
any errors which may occur.
provide a non-partisan guide to retail sector
Editor
No material in this publication
health ratings based on its members’ review
mknights@bpl-business.com
may be reproduced in anyway of a comprehensive set of industry data, you’d
without the consent of the
think they’d know a thing or two about the
publishers. The publishers will
not accept any responsibility for
current and future outlook.
the safe return of unsolicited
Interestingly enough from a technology
manuscripts, software or
perspective, the RTT said the second quarter,
equipment. Please keep a
and for the second quarter running, the only
copy of all work submitted
for publication and do not
driver to have had a positive impact on the
send original artwork. We will health of retail was costs. However, the RTT
assume permission to publish
determined that retailers gained more bene½ t
any unsolicited material unless
from price and cost cutting in the ½ rst quarter
otherwise stated.
of this year than would now be seen in the
©BPL Business Media Ltd
second. And although it admitted consumer
con½ dence remains very fragile, the think tank
was also “considerably less pessimistic than
three months ago”.
But RTT’s report said that, having cut staff
at head of½ ces, distribution centres and at
store level; built more ¾ exible staf½ ng systems;
Member of the Audit Bureau of
reviewed pension arrangements; cut marketing
Circulations 7,760 Jan 08 – Dec 08 budgets; and further squeezed suppliers, it may
ISSN No 1359-0146
be that retailers’ cost-cutting options are about
to become a good deal more limited. Even the
004 Editors comment AprMay09.ind1 1 6/5/09 9:36:22 am
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