2013 Planned Research Agenda

Our research advisory services encompass topics covering several topics in the global retail market. Within each advisory service we plan a series of research projects spanning the range of interest areas each service covers. Our IDC Retail Insights analysts have planned dozens of research projects to help you get the most out of your business in the coming year. The information presented here represents some of our current plans (which are subject to change).

Additionally, Insights research can become the foundation or springboard for custom consulting projects that delve into topics important to your business, such as evaluating new business opportunities, understanding a market segment, exploring new technologies for your operations, improving knowledge of your customers, increasing customer satisfaction, developing a competitive strategy, and more.

Because our Research Agenda may change during the course of the year, regularly check this section for updates. To learn more about the planned research agenda or to learn about regional or country plans, please contact us.

Asia/Pacific Retail IT Strategies
IDC Retail Insights' Asia/Pacific IT Opportunity: Retail service provides insights into the Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) distribution sector, with a specific focus on retail and wholesale markets and information and communication technology (ICT) strategies applied to improve retail supply chain and demand planning efficiencies, store operations management, cross-channel sales, and business performance management at a corporate level.
Document Type	Document Title	Publish Date
Business Strategy	Big Data Trends in Asia Pacific Retail	Oct-Dec 2012
Pivot Table	IT Spending Guide - Bi Annual	Oct-Dec 2012
Perspective	Australia and New Zealand Retail Trends	Oct-Dec 2012
Top 10 Predictions	Asia Pacific (Excluding Japan) Retail Top 10 Predictions	Jan-Mar 2013
Perspective	Business Intelligence & Information Management ...How Localized will be Retail Analytics?	Jan-Mar 2013
Business Strategy	Competitive Analysis of the Top IT Vendors in Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) Region	Jan-Mar 2013
Perspective	Singapore- Taiwan Retail Trends Update	Jan-Mar 2013
Technology Selection	Mobile Retail Strategies in Asia Pacific	Jan-Mar 2013
Best Practices	Big Data Case Study	Jan-Mar 2013
Business Strategy	Trends in Cloud Computing Affecting Cloud Strategy in Retail Through 2015	Apr-Jun 2013
Perspective	Changing Loyalties of Consumers... What are Retailers Doing with CRM and Awarding their Loyal Consumers.	Apr-Jun 2013
Best Practices	OC Case Study	Apr-Jun 2013
Business Strategy	Changing Size of Wallet in Asia ....Cash Card ...Online ..Mobile...NFC ??	Apr-Jun 2013
Perspective	Ecommerce and Social Media Use by Retailers	Jul-Sep 2013
Perspective	India Retail Trends	Jul-Sep 2013
Perspective	China Retail Trends	Jul-Sep 2013
Best Practices	Outsourcing or In-House...Best IT Implementation Practices for Asia Pacific Retailers	Oct-Dec 2013
Business Strategy	Supply Chain Solutions for Retail and Wholesale Trade	Oct-Dec 2013
Perspective	Asia Pacific (Excluding Japan) Retail Industry Update: Oct 12 - Dec 2013 - 5 Quarterly	Oct-Dec 2013

Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa Focusing the Future: Retail
The Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa Focusing the Future: Retail research advisory service keeps retail professionals informed on how retailers in CEE and MEA are deploying ICT solutions, laying out ICT spending priorities, and planning adoptions that increase competitiveness. Using case studies, surveys, and supply-side research, it dives into technologies such as the retail supply chain, merchandising, and demand planning; store operations; the emerging omnichannel customer experiences; and business performance management. The regional and country-level analysis also highlights how paradigm-shifting technology trends (mobility, cloud, and big data) are being interpreted and incorporated by CEE and MEA retailers and their suppliers.
Document Type	Document Title	Publish Date
Top 10 Predictions	CEE and the MEA: Retail Sector Top 10 Predictions for 2013	Oct-Dec 2012
Pivot Table	CEE and MEA Retail Sector 2011-2015 IT Spending Forecast	Apr-Jun 2013
Business Strategy	When is the Cloud Coming to Retail in CEMA	Apr-Jun 2013
Business Strategy	Retail Heuristics: Status vs. Bargains Across CEMA	Apr-Jun 2013
Methods and Practices	eCommerce in CEMA: Alternative Models Abound	Jul-Sep 2013
Methods and Practices	ICT and Retail Case Study: Central and Eastern Europe	Jul-Sep 2013
Pivot Table	CEE and MEA Retail Sector 2011-2015 IT Spending Forecast - Update	Oct-Dec 2013
Methods and Practices	ICT and Retail Case Study: Middle East and Africa	Oct-Dec 2013

European Retail IT Strategies
The European Retail IT Strategies dvisory service provides insights into the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) retail industry, with a specific focus on retail markets and information and communication technology (ICT) strategies applied to improve retail supply chain, merchandising, and demand planning; store operations; and omnichannel customer experiences, as well as overall business performance management. Our analysis includes regional and country-level estimates on ICT spending in the sector based on primary end-user research, competitive assessments of ICT vendors targeting retail, retail subsegment-specific trends, and continuous monitoring of the market aimed at identifying key industry business trends and ICT investment trends.
Document Type	Document Title	Publish Date
Pivot Table	Western European Retail IT Spending Guide 2011	Oct-Dec 2012
Perspective	EMEA Retail Industry Update: July to September 2012	Oct-Dec 2012
Business Strategy	Western European Retail: Customer Selling Systems Investments Trends (2013)	Oct-Dec 2012
Business Strategy	EU Retail, ICT Budget Dynamics and Vendor Selection Criteria Trends (2013)	Oct-Dec 2012
Business Strategy	Western European Retail Business & IT Priorities (2013)	Oct-Dec 2012
Business Strategy	Nordics Retail: An IT Perspective	Oct-Dec 2012
Top 10 Predictions	EMEA Retail Top 10 Predictions for 2012	Jan-Mar 2013
Perspective	EMEA Retail Industry Update: October to December 2012	Jan-Mar 2013
Business Strategy	Western European Retail: ERP Software Investment Trends (2013)	Jan-Mar 2013
Business Strategy	Western European Retail: Merchandising & Content Management Applications Investments Trends (2013)	Jan-Mar 2013
Business Strategy	Western European Retail: Supply-Chain Management Applications Investments Trends (2013)	Jan-Mar 2013
Pivot Table	Western European Retail IT Spending Outlook 2012	Apr-Jun 2013
Perspective	EMEA Retail Industry Update: January to March 2013	Apr-Jun 2013
Business Strategy	Competitive Analysis of the Top IT Vendors in EMEA Retail	Apr-Jun 2013
Methods and Practices	Retail Case Study	Apr-Jun 2013
Perspective	EMEA Retail Industry Update: April to June 2013	Jul-Sep 2013
Methods and Practices	Retail Case Study 2	Jul-Sep 2013
Business Strategy	EMEA Food Retail Business Strategies and IT Directions	Jul-Sep 2013
Pivot Table	Western European Retail IT Spending Outlook 2012, Update	Jul-Sep 2013
Perspective	EMEA Retail Industry Update: July to September 2013	Oct-Dec 2013
Perspective	EMEA Apparel & Fashion Retailers Global Strategies and IT Directions	Oct-Dec 2013
Business Strategy	EU Retail, ICT Budget Dynamics and Vendor Selection Criteria Trends (2014)	Oct-Dec 2013
Business Strategy	Western European Retail Business & IT Priorities (2014)	Oct-Dec 2013

Merchandising and Marketing Strategies and Retail Analytics
IDC Retail Insights' Merchandising and Marketing Strategies and Retail Analytics research advisory service provides targeted guidance to general merchandise, apparel, footwear, food, drug, and other hard-line and soft-line specialty retailers as they align their IT and business strategies to drive financial results, brand differentiation, and customer loyalty. We focus on the needs of retailers forging relevant and engaging omnichannel relationships with their customers in the context of social media and business, mobility and broadband, cloud and evolving IT delivery models, and big data and analytics. Our research and analysis help our clients identify best practices, envision paths to applying them in their context, and manage the nexus of business needs and IT capabilities. Just as thoroughly, our research helps the vendor community align their products and services to evolving industry needs and shorten their time to market with innovative applications.
Document Type	Document Title	Publish Date
Top 10 Predictions	2013 Merchandising and Marketing Strategies Retail Analytics Predictions	Oct-Dec 2012
Top 10 Predictions	2013 Retail Predictions	Oct-Dec 2012
Perspective	Venture Funded Retail Enterprise Disruptive Technology Companies	Oct-Dec 2012
Business Strategy	At-Hand Vs In-Hand: Will Consumers Have the Upper Hand in the Holiday Showroom Showdown?	Oct-Dec 2012
Perspective	Big Data in Retail - The IDC Perspective	Jan-Mar 2013
Perspective	2013 NRF Analytics Round-Up	Jan-Mar 2013
Best Practices	Merchandising and Marketing Strategies Retail Analytics Heat Map Survey: Investment Strategies for Driving Business Priorities	Jan-Mar 2013
Perspective	Social Merchants & Marketers Pioneer a New Path to Customer Centricity	Apr-Jun 2013
Perspective	People & Process & Privacy Concerns for Effective Use of Big Data	Apr-Jun 2013
Vendor Assessment	IDC MarketScape: Forecasting & Replenishment	Apr-Jun 2013
Perspective	Update: Online Inside the Omnichannel Store	Jul-Sep 2013
Perspective	BDA/Enterprise Data Governance: New Requirements for MDM	Jul-Sep 2013
Vendor Assessment	IDC MarketScape: Retail Analytics	Jul-Sep 2013
Perspective	Retail Analytics Maturity Model	Oct-Dec 2013
Business Strategy	2013 Holiday Season Outlook	Oct-Dec 2013
Top 10 Predictions	2014 Merchandising and Marketing Strategies Retail Analytics Predictions	Oct-Dec 2013

Retail IT Infrastructure Strategies
IDC Retail Insight's Retail IT Infrastructure Strategies service provides market analysis and intelligence on retailer actions toward architectural and platform-oriented technology and process investments. In the scope of this service includes research surrounding industry-centric capabilities in enterprise retail suites, Software as a Service (SaaS), service-oriented architectures, Outsourced IT services, business intelligence, and managed network services. Also included is intelligence on best practices surrounding "green" initiatives and consumer data security and privacy through Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance initiatives.
Document Type	Document Title	Publish Date
Top 10 Predictions	Worldwide Retail 2013 Top 10 Predictions	Oct-Dec 2012
Perspective	Oracle Open World	Oct-Dec 2012
Perspective	The RFID Enabled Inventory Control Advantage	Oct-Dec 2012
Methods and Practices	Mobility Vertical Survey Highlights	Oct-Dec 2012
Perspective	Top 5 Technologies at NRF	Jan-Mar 2013
Business Strategy	Understanding NFC Technology and the Potential Impacts	Jan-Mar 2013
Methods and Practices	Protecting Consumer Privacy in the Store	Jan-Mar 2013
Business Strategy	Investment Strategies for Driving Management Productivity	Jan-Mar 2013
Perspective	SAP Sapphire Review (MFG)	Apr-Jun 2013
Business Strategy	Big Data Vertical Survey Highlights	Apr-Jun 2013
Methods and Practices	People & Process & Privacy Concerns for Effective Use of Big Data	Apr-Jun 2013
Best Practice	Best Practices: Creating the Corporate App Store	Apr-Jun 2013
Perspective	Is the Handheld Specialist Extinct?	Jul-Sep 2013
Technology Selection	Cloud or Mobile: Evaluating Your POS Choices	Jul-Sep 2013
Business Strategy	Supply Chain Visibility and Traceability	Jul-Sep 2013
Methods and Practices	2014 Retail Investment Guide	Jul-Sep 2013
Perspective	Oracle Open World	Oct-Dec 2013
Business Strategy	Cloud Survey	Oct-Dec 2013
Vendor Assessment	Retail RFID Buyers Guide	Oct-Dec 2013
Top 10 Predictions	Worldwide Retail 2014 Top 10 Predictions	Oct-Dec 2013

Retail Solutions Market Share Guide
IDC Retail Insights' Retail Solutions Market Share Guide examines solution-specific vendor revenue for the top worldwide retail vendors. Solutions covered are retail revenue management, mobile commerce platforms, ecommerce platforms, location-based mobile marketing execution, and applied digital asset management (ADAM).
Document Type	Document Title	Publish Date
Pivot Table	IDC Retail Insights' U.S. Retail Solutions Market Share Guide and Forecast, Methodology, and Taxonomy, 2011 Rev 1	Oct-Dec 2012
Pivot Table	IDC Retail Insights' U.S. Retail Solutions Market Share Guide and Forecast, Methodology, and Taxonomy, 2012	Apr-Jun 2013

Retail Store, Channel, and Consumer Strategies
To support business and technology decisions that directly impact retail consumers, the IDC Retail Insights' Retail Store, Channel, and Consumer Strategies service tracks and analyzes important trends in store systems, e-commerce capabilities, and consumer adoption of these technologies. In the scope of this service are critical technologies such as POS hardware and software, labor management, self-service systems, guided selling, mobile store technologies, advanced consumer payment modes, and e-commerce platforms. The service provides specific insight into shopper's reaction and adoption to the new spectrum of consumer selling technologies being deployed in retail.
Document Type	Document Title	Publish Date
Business Strategy	Creating a Foundation for Long Term Retail Growth	Oct-Dec 2012
Business Strategy	Creating a Single View of Your Retail Data	Oct-Dec 2012
Business Strategy	Simplifying the Retail Stack with Systems Consolidation	Oct-Dec 2012
Best Practice	Case Study	Oct-Dec 2012
Perspective	Reducing Retail Shrink	Jan-Mar 2013
Business Strategy	The Changing Face of the Store Format	Jan-Mar 2013
Methods and Practices	Mobile in Omnichannel Retail: The How, Why, What, Where and When	Jan-Mar 2013
Perspective	Mobile Wallets: What Does it Mean For Retailers?	Jan-Mar 2013
Vendor Assessment	IDC MarketScape 2013: Retail POS Software	Jan-Mar 2013
Best Practice	Case Study	Jan-Mar 2013
Perspective	What's Next for EU Privacy Laws?	Apr-Jun 2013
Business Strategy	Personalization Through Digital Marketing	Apr-Jun 2013
Perspective	Using Technology to Extend Service and Support to Customers	Apr-Jun 2013
Technology Selection	Selecting Digital Marketing Suppliers	Apr-Jun 2013
Perspective	The Latest in Store Sensor Technology	Apr-Jun 2013
Technology Selection	Selecting the Right Partners for International Retail Growth	Apr-Jun 2013
Methods and Practices	Are You Creating a Differentiated Customer Experience?	Jul-Sep 2013
Perspective	Loyalty Management in Retail	Jul-Sep 2013
Perspective	Outsourcing Content Management	Jul-Sep 2013
Best Practice	Best Practices for Inventory Integration and Order Management	Jul-Sep 2013
Perspective	PCI Compliance and Outsourcing, the Perfect Mix?	Jul-Sep 2013
Business Strategy	Using Social Tools to Gain Insights in Omnichannel Retailing	Oct-Dec 2013
Vendor Assessment	IDC MarketScape 2013: Retail eCommerce Platforms	Oct-Dec 2013
Business Strategy	eCommerce in East Asia	Oct-Dec 2013
Best Practice	Best Practices in Addressing Local Market Issues	Oct-Dec 2013
Business Strategy	Internationalization - the Impact on Your Infrastructure	Oct-Dec 2013

Retail Supply Chain, Sourcing, and Product Lifecycle Management Strategies
Retailers around the world now realize that sustainable competitive advantage will be gained only by those companies that integrate a deep understanding of consumer demand directly into their supply chain planning workflows. Making the business case for continued retail enterprise technology and process improvements is essential if merchants are to stay ahead of changing consumer shopping habits and increasing merchandise choices. IDC Retail Insights' Retail Supply Chain, Sourcing, and Product Lifecycle Management Strategies service examines the impact of technology investments and process initiatives on the performance of enterprise retail systems behind the store. Specific coverage is given to the drivers, benefits, processes and applications related to a visible, efficient and intelligent supply chain.
Document Type	Document Title	Publish Date
Perspective	The RFID Enabled Inventory Control Advantage	Oct-Dec 2012
Best Practices	Mobile Operations Productivity Maturity Model	Oct-Dec 2012
Technology Selection	Retail PLM in Grocery Vendor Landscape	Oct-Dec 2012
Perspective	Mobile Retail Execution for Improved Performance (Focus on Workforce, Task, Inventory and Performance Management	Jan-Mar 2013
Perspective	Protecting Consumer Privacy in the Store	Jan-Mar 2013
Technology Selection	Mobile Operations Execution Vendor Landscape	Jan-Mar 2013
Perspective	Omnichannel Fulfillment Success Stories	Apr-Jun 2013
Perspective	3D Visualization Aids for MacroSpace planning, Performance Analysis and Product Development	Apr-Jun 2013
Technology Selection	IDC MarketScape: Forecasting & Replenishment	Apr-Jun 2013
Perspective	Global Trade Management for Retail Importers	Jul-Sep 2013
Best Practices	Retail PLM Maturity Model	Jul-Sep 2013
Technology Selection	IDC MarketScape: WMS for Distributed Omnichannel Retail	Jul-Sep 2013
Perspective	Utilizing Visual Search to Protect Brand image and Performance	Oct-Dec 2013
Perspective	The Sourcing Strategies of the Leaders	Oct-Dec 2013
Technology Selection	Retail RFID Buyers Guide	Oct-Dec 2013

Worldwide Quarterly Point of Sale Tracker
IDC Retail Insights' Worldwide Quarterly Point of Sale Tracker fills the growing demand for detailed, timely, and accurate information on the global point of sale market. It provides detailed analysis, quarterly market share data, and a five-year forecast with geographic, customer, and technology segmentation.
Document Type	Document Title	Publish Date
Pivot Table	Worldwide Quarterly Point of Sale Tracker	Oct-Dec 2012
Pivot Table	Worldwide Quarterly Point of Sale Tracker	Jan-Mar 2013
Pivot Table	Worldwide Quarterly Point of Sale Tracker	Apr-Jun 2013
Pivot Table	Worldwide Quarterly Point of Sale Tracker	Jul-Sep 2013
Pivot Table	Worldwide Quarterly Point of Sale Tracker	Oct-Dec 2013

Worldwide Retail IT Spending Guide
IDC Retail Insights' Worldwide Retail Industry IT Spending Guide is a semiannual analysis of the current status and projected growth of IT spending in the global retail industry. This global five-year outlook on IT spending by retail companies provides IT vendors with key information needed to develop effective market strategies and provides end users with information that enables them to compare their spending with the rest of the industry. Via this service, IDC Retail Insights offers the benchmark for consistent, detailed market data on the retail industry, providing a profile of IT spending across 27 technologies, 4 geographic regions, 10 retail subindustries, 10 industry lines of business, and 5 company revenue bands.
Document Type	Document Title	Publish Date
Pivot Table	Worldwide Retail Spending Guide - Annual	Oct-Dec 2012
Pivot Table	Worldwide Retail Spending Guide - Mid-year Update	Jul-Sep 2013

Worldwide Retail Supply Chain and PLM Spending Guide
The Worldwide Retail Supply Chain and PLM Spending Guide provides a comprehensive multi-year view of these relevant application markets across retail segments. Technology providers use the guide to identify the region and industry segments that represent the greatest potential for growth so that their product development and marketing spending can be more productive. Technology buyers are able to compare their individual spending plans with industry level budget allocations to identify possible areas of over or under investment.
Document Type	Document Title	Publish Date
Pivot Table	Worldwide Retail Spending Guide - Annual	Jan-Mar 2013
Pivot Table	Worldwide Retail Spending Guide - Mid-year Update	Jul-Sep 2013