INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
are now prioritising online services as a result.To learn more about the impact that the death of the high street is has having on IT
strategies in more detail, TheIndianSubcontinent Pro spoke with Lee James, EMEA CTO at Rackspace.How is the death of the high street
impacting retail IT decision makersThe death of the high street has undoubtedly led retailers to prioritise online services, with 80 percent
of retail IT decision makers in the UK claiming that they have been forced to change their IT strategy as a result.This shift has created an
increasingly saturated and competitive online market place
Digital retail offerings must both differentiate brands from their competition to attract new customers and deliver a flawless customer
experience so that they return.What are the key considerations for IT decision makers that are changing their IT strategyIT decision makers
must balance a set of diverse requirements when devising IT strategies
Creating innovative solutions that differentiate their offering, all whilst remaining cost efficient and delivering a flawless customer
optimising the online experience
Retailers now recognise that their in-store and digital offerings must be delivered to customers as one seamless experience, with nearly
half of respondents reported that better aligning online and in-store customer experiences was a key consideration in new IT
technological investments, more respondents indicated that they plan to increase investment in their online capabilities rather than instore
Forty-six percent of respondents reported planning to invest in artificial intelligence for their ecommerce over the next 12 months,
compared to 34 percent in physical stores
However, this does not mean that the transformation of the physical store is being neglected
For example, our research still shows promise for the technological transformation of physical stores, noting that 30 percent of stores will
investing in can deliver benefits across both in-store and online
It is just the application which is different.What technologies are retailers investing in over the next 12 monthsIn our increasingly
technological world, we can access almost any product or service through our mobile phone
According to IMRG, visits to ecommerce sites via either a smartphone or tablet device now account for 45 percent of all ecommerce traffic in
Therefore, many IT decision makers are dedicating investment to creating and updating their mobile offering
In fact, nearly half of respondents are planning investments in ecommerce mobile applications, accounting for 13.2 percent of the total UK
retail sector IT budget over the next 12 months.Multi-cloud has also been identified by a third of retailers as an essential enabler for the
deployment of many of their new ambitious technological solutions
The primary motivation for investment in this technology over the next month is its ability to provide the services and features that
customers demand being the main motivator for its deployment, showing how multi-cloud is critical to the technological evolution of the
retail sector.Finally, and understandably given the constant stream of headlines about cyberattacks, cybersecurity solutions are a key
A number of retailers have already fallen victim to attacks this summer: for example, the Dixons Carphone breach saw the personal
information of 10 million customers stolen
With the Online Digital Trust Index revealing that a third of consumers have stopped using the services of an organisation because of a data
retail sector IT budget over the next 12 months.What challenges do IT decision makers face in achieving their ambitionsWhile our research
demonstrates that retail IT decision makers are ambitious with the adaptations being made to their IT strategy, many IT leaders are still
required to overcome significant hurdles to deliver their new, multi-channel visions
Budget constraints, a lack of IT and /or technical skills, and the availability of partners to support were cited as the three greatest
barriers to delivering an IT strategy that could tackle the challenges of waning footfall on the high street.However, while the death of the
high-street is a continuous and looming threat for retailers, it also offers considerable opportunity for IT decision makers to embrace new
technologies in order to achieve a seamless online and in-store customer experience
Though this is a huge task for a business of any size, partnering with an expert managed service provider can ensure that retail leaders
receive the necessary support to successfully navigate the death of the high street.Lee James, EMEA CTO at
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