It will be interesting to see how 2012 pans out, and even more interesting to see how it is viewed years from now. It’s still January and yet apparently Tesco is wobbling, Carrefour is in crisis and social and mobile technology is crippling retail. Even Wal-Mart appear to need a new direction
I’d love to know what you think – I happen to agree that there are times when social and mobile are overblown, but we are clearly on the cusp of a revolution in the way people shop. Power, which moved from manufacturer to retailer, is now moving to the shopper – and retailers which have not invested in the relationship they have with shoppers will struggle.
Is this the year that retailers finally realize that you can’t build a brand on price and discount alone – that it is too easy to get beaten at that game? If the suggestion here that the CEO of Carrefour plans to respond b cutting prices is anything to go by, then the answer is no.
The age of the shopper – interesting times indeed.
What do you think the retail landscape will look like in five years time? Will a big gun hit the wall? Will they respond? Will bricks and mortar still. E where we buy, or will expensive store become showrooms or just white elephants?
