Spring 2013 Newsletter
inHARMONY The Spring Edition 2013
Looking at Harmony with fresh eyes.
The soothsayers continue to predict challenging times ahead for
Australian retailers. We have a flat-lining local economy coupled
with an uncertain global economy. Several high profile and long
established retailers have faltered in the past two years.
Deloitte's in a recent whitepaper on "Global Retailing" pointed to
a number of early warning signs that cause underperformance. These
included, a high turnover of key senior managers, the inability to
make informed decisions because of limited business intelligence,
an ineffective business system, poor cash-flow management and a
non-existent or ill-defined digital strategy. The most at risk are
the small to medium sized private retailers.
Of significant importance in the battle for the retail dollar is
the ever-burgeoning threat of overseas retailers. For many years,
Australia's geographic remoteness and smaller critical mass left us
sheltered from international competitors. However with faltering
global economies and shrinking markets in Europe and the US,
Australia is generating more interest. Australia has none of the
pitfalls associated with establishing businesses in less developed
countries. In addition Australian's preponderance for shopping
online with overseas retailers has significantly increased global
retailers awareness of our buying habits and the demand for their
products. This inevitably leads to the type of insights they
require to assist them establishing a physical presence on our
shores. So international retailers armed with global operations and
cheaper prices fuelled by their scale and size or appealing
international brands are leaping-frogging the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans.
Our focus in these challenging times is to improve the
productivity of all our customers. So one very important initiative
we have undertaken is to provide Harmony system audits. We're
revisiting how our customers are using Harmony and potentially
uncovering gaps and making recommendations to enhance business
performance. We want to ensure that all our customers are
extracting the maximum potential from Harmony.
Today's consumer is increasingly connected to both the physical
and digital space and able to interact with retailers through
multiple channels simultaneously. To stay competitive in this
ever-evolving landscape, it is imperative for retailers to deliver
a seamless customer experience across all channels and provide the
right services and products at the right time.
In 2016, the projected Australian online retail expenditure is
expected to reach $27 billion. A well-conceived online marketing
strategy is imperative. Over the past fifteen months we have
achieved outstanding results for customers demanding a
comprehensive marketing solution. Including website re-branding,
marketing communications, search and social media optimisation,
media buys and pay-per click. Future Business Systems can help you
connect with a larger online audience and provide a seamless
customer experience.
Click on the link below to read the full edition.....