Talking tech
Analysis of the technology that is driving the retail and manufacturing sectors forward
Talking tech: Technology driving development of convenience format
17 May 2012
Convenience retailing is well placed to capitalise on the public's appetite for easy shopping with technology, including mobile, cloud-based operations systems and location-linked promos, driving the sector's development. Andrew Don reports.
Talking tech: Morrisons 'Evolve' IT project
18 April 2012
Morrisons' focus on producing its own food through its vertically integrated manufacturing businesses has provided the supermarket with some challenges as it has overhauled its IT infrastructure, Finance Director Richard Pennycook tells just-food. Glynn Davis looks at the solutions that the retailer has found.
Talking tech: IBM's DemandTec buy shows value in price optimisation
12 January 2012
With shoppers looking for value and commodity costs volatile, margins are under pressure, meaning pricing decisions have never been more important. Manufacturers and retailers are looking for technologies to help them optimise prices and suppliers of that technology are in demand - as shown by IBM's deal to buy US analytics firm DemandTec. Glynn Davis reports.
Talking tech: Self-service checkouts and beyond
3 November 2011
Self-service checkouts have been a feature of food retail stores for a decade or more but their use remains a subject of debate. The UK is a market where the technology is well-established and now Waitrose has decided to use the tills across its estate. Dean Best talks to Ed Brindley, marketing director for Waitrose self-checkout supplier Wincor Nixdorf, about the deal, the technology and where self-service could be heading.
Talking tech: Conquering the 'digital native'
30 September 2011
Adapting to the next generation of consumers is a key subject of discussion among food retailers right now. Software giant Oracle has just released the results of a survey that sheds some light on the shoppers of tomorrow. Sam Webb reports.
Talking tech: Food sites look to ride Groupon wave
31 August 2011
The concept of group buying has grabbed the headlines in recent months, with sites like Groupon and LivingSocial providing consumers the opportunity to benefit from discounts on a range of products. Now, in North America, food-specific sites have been launched, allowing shoppers to buy food in bulk. MJ Deschamps reports.
Talking tech: Tetra Pak uses IT to drive innovation
18 May 2011
Tetra Pak revealed plans to acclerate its rate of innovation when launched a new milk carton on Monday (16 May). The packaging manufacturer has promised to "double the quality" of its products while halving the time to market. Petah Marian visited the company to find out about the drivers and the results behind this pace of development.
Talking tech: Improving out-of-stocks
18 April 2011
With retailers facing an increasingly cautious consumer, and doing all they to squeeze their supply chains, there remains a huge opportunity for incremental growth through improving out-of-stocks. Petah Marian reports.
Talking tech: Deepening your customer insight
31 March 2011
Richard Brasher, the CEO of Tesco's UK operations, recently said that the country's largest grocer is now looking beyond the data of its Clubcard loyalty scheme to understand more about how its customers "live their lives". As retailers face an increasingly challenged consumer, understanding their behaviour may mean the difference between success and failure. Where is the industry heading? Petah Marian investigates.
Talking tech: Food retailers going mobile
4 February 2011
With the number of smartphone users to exceed 1bn globally by 2014, grocery retailers looking to build a cohesive multichannel experience for their customers need to consider how they approach this emerging channel.
