Study: Retail demand intelligence is a critical investment issue for retailers

Framingham, Mass. A new research study published by IDC Retail Insights shows retail demand intelligence as the most pressing technological investment issue currently facing retailers.

According to the new report, retailers are not only implementing advanced demand-forecasting tools, but are using RDI as a foundational retail technology, tightly integrated with retail planning systems, supply chain applications, and customer selling systems. To help retail executives compile a shortlist of RDI IT suppliers that best address the needs of their business, the new IDC Retail Insights study, Vendor Assessment: Retail Demand Intelligence Vendor Maturity, provides an analysis of the vendor landscape for RDI solutions.

Key findings presented in the study include:

• Globally, spending estimates for demand intelligence and analytics applications are projected to grow by 12.9% year over year. Analytics in supply chain and business intelligence are not suffering as investments in demand forecasting accelerate. Retailers need to have the tools to respond with agility to shifting market dynamics.

• U.S.-based retailers have a head start on their European competitors in demand forecasting and optimization.

• The report provides assessments of RDI vendor solutions within key evaluation metrics.

• The report presents analysis on the level of retail maturity in demand intelligence and evolutionary stages.

"Each retailer will have specific requirements, so it is important to take the next step in evaluating the offerings in relation to a retailer's specific need," said Ivano Ortis, EMEA research director, IDC Retail Insights. "This typically involves business scenario-based vendor assessments –- in other words, assessing how the vendor solution matches specific scenarios that are relevant for your organization."

Qualified retailers can receive a complimentary copy of the report by contacting Rob Weber at [email protected].

IDC Retail Insights analysts will present a complimentary web conference on this subject. For more information and to register, visit the IDC Retail Insights Web site at idc-ri.com and click on the Events tab.