COMMENT


SUMMER SECURITY BLUES I


’m delighted to present the Autumn 2014 issue of Retail Technology


magazine, which is the first issue to go to press under my editorship. Coming from a broader technology background, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to delve into the world of retail and to understand how technology is being used in this context to shape consumer experiences both off and online. Having emerged from this summer’s


baptism of fire (largely) unscathed, proudly clutching the edition that is now in your hands, I am excited not only to be a part of this industry, but to be taking over the reigns of such a long established, well respected and forward-looking title in this space. The retail industry is a vibrant hotbed


for technology adoption, sometimes driven by a desire to go further, faster, better and sometimes, unfortunately, driven by urgent necessity. This summer was a particularly


interesting season in ‘retail land’ for a number of reasons, not least because it was fraught with very public instances of fraud and security breaches. As alarm bells rang at Target, The Home Depot, Viator, Domino’s Pizza or Paddy Power, it emerged time and time again that technology is the best weapon a


retailer can wield to protect its revenue, customer data and reputation. Retailers are increasingly being urged to combine their technology strategies with the appointment of a loss prevention and security officer who can take a single view of both physical and online retail channels. This edition therefore takes a deeper look at the area of loss prevention and security and where retailers should be focusing their energy to plug the leaks. We spoke exclusively to American


Apparel (page 21), for example, about how to achieve shrink reduction through a combination of retail IT and process improvements. Payment security losses are obviously at the forefront of retailers’ minds as the autumn sets in, which is why we’ve also examined how retailers such as Moss Bros, Debenhams and US technology retailer Micro Center are using technology to “ruin a bad guy’s day” (page 27). Physical security is another key aspect


of preventing fraud and losses. Marks and Spencer for example (p30) is using of mobile CCTV vans in car parks and has reported a welcome, if unexpected, effect on in-store shrink levels. Finally, it has also emerged that retailers may be overlooking the true impact of internal fraud on their organisations – is it


Editor Monica Heck e: monica@retailtechnology.co.uk


©Zendu Contracting Services Ltd.


Sales Director Lynn Neil e: lynn@retailtechnology.co.uk t: 0208 123 5040


Design Rory Seaford Design e: rory@roryseaford.com t: 07976 941282


too uncomfortable to think about, to mention and to tackle? Industry experts discuss this topic on page 24. The Autumn edition also looks at


how retailers are handling their biggest supply chain challenges in an increasingly omnichannel world. On page 35, we see how both Zara’s parent company Inditex Group and fashion house Sandro Ferrone are using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to track stock from warehouse to the point of sale. Meanwhile (page 38) wholesalers Carte Blanche and Smiffy’s discuss the difficulties they face due to the rise of online selling and retailer supply chain demands. In addition, our fascinating Autumn


cover story (page 10) delves into how John Lewis has embraced the future and the premise behind the Internet of Things, by mining its wealth of machine data to gain real-life, immediate insights into its online business. Last but not least, I’m delighted to


announce the arrival of Retail Technology on Twitter. You can now get your bite- sized news updates by following @RetailTechUK! I hope you enjoy this edition and I look forward to hearing more going forward about how retailers are using technology for business success. Monica Heck, Editor


Circulation & Subscriptions e: lynnneil@retailtechnology.co.uk t: 0208 123 5040


Subscription prices for one year are: £75 (UK), £85 (Europe), £110 (Overseas)


Front cover image by Jason Alden for John Lewis


Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations 6,749 Jan 11 – Dec 11


ISSN No 1359-0146 04 Autumn 2014 www.retailtechnology.co.uk


Reasonable care is taken to avoid errors in this magazine but no liability is accepted for any errors which may occur. No material in this publication may be reproduced in anyway without the consent of the publishers. The publishers will not accept any responsibility for the safe return of unsolicited manuscripts, software or equipment. Please keep a copy of all work submitted for publication and do not send original artwork. We will assume permission to publish any unsolicited material unless otherwise stated.


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