Manufacturing Insights, an IDC Company, announced the release of a series of studies focusing on the Western European retail and wholesale sector, providing survey results on IT solution adoption trends.
"Positive developments in Western European retail revenues, profits, and inventory levels had an impact on both retail CEO and CIO mindsets toward investing more on IT as a fundamental enabler of profitable growth. Overall, retail buyer sentiment is on the rise across Western Europe. However, it is also important to note differences on a country and retail sub-segment level in the way retail companies will be allocating higher or lower shares of their IS budgets to different IT areas. Indirect sales channels dynamics are expected to shift to interesting evolutionary paths, while our survey results provide clear indication to IT vendors about the key selection criteria and most critical areas to improve," said Ivano Ortis, program manager, Retail, CPG, Transportation, at Manufacturing Insights.
Key findings of this study highlight that, while overall retail and wholesale respondents are indicating the strongest short-term investment plans for security technologies, ERP, and CRM solutions, the following investment trends are emerging on a sub-vertical and on a country level:
* Security technologies continue to represent the enterprise IT solution area with the highest level of adoption both in retail and wholesale, while remaining the top priority in both sectors going forward into 2007.
* During the next 12 months, 27.1% of respondents are planning to invest in supply chain applications, while on a sub-vertical level there is a significantly higher focus in retail compared to wholesale. Italy is the country where most organizations are indicating plans to invest in the next 12 months in supply chain applications, as reported by 47.7% of respondents. Spanish respondents show a strong focus on integrating supply chain applications with other enterprise IT solutions.
* Considering retail-specific applications, the strongest short-term investment plans indicated by retail/wholesale respondents are for warehouse management, purchasing/order entry, point of sale solutions, and inventory management applications, as reported by approximately 30% of respondents. In addition, more than 20% of respondents indicated short-term investment plans on store operations and merchandise management applications, online shopping tools, mobile workforce solutions, ESL, and RFID.
* The U.K. remains the overall principal driver for industry-specific applications investments, as it is showing up as the only country among the top 5 Western European countries with a higher than average percentage of respondents planning investment in all industry-specific solution areas.
* In France and Germany, the top areas of focus as indicated by this survey are expected to be warehouse management and point of sale solutions, while the fastest growing opportunities for RFID in 2007 are expected in Spain.
These IDC studies draw on the results of IDC's European Vertical Market Survey, carried out in June/August 2006 in the top 5 Western European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the U.K.) among 169 retail and wholesale companies with more than 20 employees. The results are presented for the top 5 Western European countries (France, Germany, the U.K., Italy, Spain) for retail and wholesale respondents and for Western Europe overall. Studies focusing on Western European Retail and Wholesale include:
* Western European Retail/Wholesale IS Operating Budget Dynamics, Channel Selection, and Customer Satisfaction: IDC 2006 Survey (Doc #MIPW07N)
* Western Europe, Retail/Wholesale Industry, Enterprise IT Solutions Adoption and Investment Plans: IDC 2006 Survey (Doc #MIPW05N)
* Retail/Wholesale Industry-Specific Applications Adoption and Investment Plans in Western Europe: An IDC Survey (Doc #MIPW06N)
For more information, please visit www.manufacturing-insights.com.
About Manufacturing Insights, an IDC Company
Manufacturing Insights, an IDC Company, provides business and IT decision-makers with fact-based research and analysis to inform and support critical business decisions. The global independent research and advisory firm closely follows processes associated with the design, development and distribution of goods across markets including Discrete Manufacturing, Process Manufacturing, High Tech/Electronics Manufacturing, Consumer Packaged Goods and Retail. Manufacturing Insights' research and analysis is critical for end-users, as well as hardware and software vendors, service providers, and purveyors of IT outsourcing. Founded in January 2005, Manufacturing Insights is headquartered in Framingham, Mass. Visit http://www.manufacturing-insights.com/... for more information.
IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading IT media, research and exposition company.
"Positive developments in Western European retail revenues, profits, and inventory levels had an impact on both retail CEO and CIO mindsets toward investing more on IT as a fundamental enabler of profitable growth. Overall, retail buyer sentiment is on the rise across Western Europe. However, it is also important to note differences on a country and retail sub-segment level in the way retail companies will be allocating higher or lower shares of their IS budgets to different IT areas. Indirect sales channels dynamics are expected to shift to interesting evolutionary paths, while our survey results provide clear indication to IT vendors about the key selection criteria and most critical areas to improve," said Ivano Ortis, program manager, Retail, CPG, Transportation, at Manufacturing Insights.
Key findings of this study highlight that, while overall retail and wholesale respondents are indicating the strongest short-term investment plans for security technologies, ERP, and CRM solutions, the following investment trends are emerging on a sub-vertical and on a country level:
* Security technologies continue to represent the enterprise IT solution area with the highest level of adoption both in retail and wholesale, while remaining the top priority in both sectors going forward into 2007.
* During the next 12 months, 27.1% of respondents are planning to invest in supply chain applications, while on a sub-vertical level there is a significantly higher focus in retail compared to wholesale. Italy is the country where most organizations are indicating plans to invest in the next 12 months in supply chain applications, as reported by 47.7% of respondents. Spanish respondents show a strong focus on integrating supply chain applications with other enterprise IT solutions.
* Considering retail-specific applications, the strongest short-term investment plans indicated by retail/wholesale respondents are for warehouse management, purchasing/order entry, point of sale solutions, and inventory management applications, as reported by approximately 30% of respondents. In addition, more than 20% of respondents indicated short-term investment plans on store operations and merchandise management applications, online shopping tools, mobile workforce solutions, ESL, and RFID.
* The U.K. remains the overall principal driver for industry-specific applications investments, as it is showing up as the only country among the top 5 Western European countries with a higher than average percentage of respondents planning investment in all industry-specific solution areas.
* In France and Germany, the top areas of focus as indicated by this survey are expected to be warehouse management and point of sale solutions, while the fastest growing opportunities for RFID in 2007 are expected in Spain.
These IDC studies draw on the results of IDC's European Vertical Market Survey, carried out in June/August 2006 in the top 5 Western European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the U.K.) among 169 retail and wholesale companies with more than 20 employees. The results are presented for the top 5 Western European countries (France, Germany, the U.K., Italy, Spain) for retail and wholesale respondents and for Western Europe overall. Studies focusing on Western European Retail and Wholesale include:
* Western European Retail/Wholesale IS Operating Budget Dynamics, Channel Selection, and Customer Satisfaction: IDC 2006 Survey (Doc #MIPW07N)
* Western Europe, Retail/Wholesale Industry, Enterprise IT Solutions Adoption and Investment Plans: IDC 2006 Survey (Doc #MIPW05N)
* Retail/Wholesale Industry-Specific Applications Adoption and Investment Plans in Western Europe: An IDC Survey (Doc #MIPW06N)
For more information, please visit www.manufacturing-insights.com.
About Manufacturing Insights, an IDC Company
Manufacturing Insights, an IDC Company, provides business and IT decision-makers with fact-based research and analysis to inform and support critical business decisions. The global independent research and advisory firm closely follows processes associated with the design, development and distribution of goods across markets including Discrete Manufacturing, Process Manufacturing, High Tech/Electronics Manufacturing, Consumer Packaged Goods and Retail. Manufacturing Insights' research and analysis is critical for end-users, as well as hardware and software vendors, service providers, and purveyors of IT outsourcing. Founded in January 2005, Manufacturing Insights is headquartered in Framingham, Mass. Visit http://www.manufacturing-insights.com/... for more information.
IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading IT media, research and exposition company.
