Technology is driving the competition

If the stereotypes are to be believed, IT teams have been languishing in the basement for years – required only when things go wrong, and rarely part of strategic discussions.

This is all changing. Technology is now driving the competition – from Amazon to Asos, these relatively new retailers get their edge by using IT innovatively. But traditional retailers are keeping up too, as our feature on futuristic retail technology shows. Plus, our interview with John Lewis IT director Paul Coby illustrates how the UK’s biggest retailers know exactly where they need to be, and how technology is now at the core of their business strategy.

As retailers respond to the changes new job titles such as multichannel director have emerged, and IT departments’ responsibilities have mushroomed. We look at how to handle the organisational change. At the same time, skills shortages continue to dog the IT industry and we explain how this is affecting retail.

Meanwhile, international expansion continues apace, and our feature on EPoS looks at how to avoid common problems. However they approach it, IT directors are in the midst of an interesting but difficult time, and their response to the new environment is of ever increasing importance to the retail industry.