Retailers Take Enterprising Innovation Approach

For many years, retail IT was dominated by a traditional “enterprise” model. Using a large, centralized physical server or database, retailers would deploy core business solutions. POS terminals and customer engagement applications primarily served as data collection tools to assist back-end enterprise operations.



However, the emergence of constant customer connectivity, as well as cloud platforms that eliminate the need for centralized physical infrastructure, have radically changed this model. The enterprise is now a distributed, virtual environment where retailers are constantly receiving, analyzing and reacting to real-time customer experience data in order to deliver an optimal omnichannel experience.



Core solutions still play a vital role, but are now also configured around serving the real-time needs of the customer. Jill (Puleri) Standish, senior VP and general manager of Oracle Retail, recently spoke with Chain Store Age about how retailers can best leverage cloud-based, leading-edge technologies to thrive in this new environment.

Mobile commerce is exploding. How can retailers effectively reach out to this consumer segment and turn them into loyal customers?



In 2014, 67% of consumers preferred shopping on a mobile device, up 25% from the previous year. The growth is staggering, and there is no sign of it slowing down.



Retailers need to be prepared to integrate mobile into their desktop and in-store experience in order to compete. This is a great example of the type of opportunity we are seeing retailers address via cloud services, where they quickly deliver a capability to customers that directly impacts sales.

Can you give me an example?



A case in point is a new opt-in mode in one retailer’s mobile app that allows shoppers to see in-store inventory and search promotions for any store location. Locating the product and enabling a seamless transaction via mobile online or in-store, including an option to buy online pick-up in store and several mobile wallet options, leverages Oracle functionality for inventory, pricing, promotions, e-commerce and stores.

As social media continues to grow as a customer engagement tool, how are retailers turning those conversations into commerce opportunities?



With more than 1 billion active users on Facebook, social media has changed from something a brand should do into something a brand must do. User-generated product reviews, videos, blogs and wikis have an increasingly stronger influence over consumer buying behavior.

How do you win in this channel?



The key to winning in this channel is creating a unified and personalized customer experience across all social media sites. For example, everyone knows that in the world of beauty, brands live and die by word of mouth.



So in 2013, Ulta Beauty upgraded to the new Oracle Commerce platform, allowing beauty goers to find what they want, when they want it. Engagement is an integral piece of the brand’s marketing strategy, and with mobile enhancements Ulta now enables its consumers the power to share products, trends and new looks via any device. Two years later, Ulta continues to grow its sales via e-commerce.

Oracle offers solutions in every area of the retail enterprise. What specific areas will Oracle be focused on in 2016?



We are rolling out access to nearly every Oracle solution via cloud services, so that retailers can take advantage of the full breadth and depth of Oracle retail, e-commerce, marketing and enterprise solutions in a format that has many business benefits for retailers of all sizes.

Why the cloud?



In my opinion, retailers — more than almost any other industry — are challenged to stay ahead of a fast-changing consumer market. By moving IT operations to the cloud, retailers leverage Oracle’s world-leading performance, security and the steady pace of new features and functionality introduced via our product development teams.



We believe that these cloud services will ultimately provide retailers the most immediate access and value from Oracle’s ongoing investment in research and product development.