2010 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.



European IT Opportunity: Retail and Wholesale

IDC Retail Insights' European IT Opportunity: Retail and Wholesale advisory service provides insights into the Western European distribution sector, with a specific focus on retail and wholesale markets 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. Our analysis includes estimates on ICT spending in the sector based on primary end-user research, competitive assessments of ICT vendors targeting retail and wholesale, 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/Wholesale IT Spending Guide 2007-2012 Update Oct-Dec 2009
Business Strategy Retailing Trends in MEA, CEE, Russia Oct-Dec 2009
Vendor Assessment Top-15 ICT Vendors in EMEA Retail, 2009 Oct-Dec 2009
Perspective EMEA Retail Industry Update: July to September 2009 Oct-Dec 2009
Business Strategy Food Store Strategies, European Perspectives & Future Trends Oct-Dec 2009
Best Practices Al Batha E-City Case Study: Investing in POS Scalability Oct-Dec 2009
Top 10 Predictions Global Retail Top 10 Predictions for 2010 Jan-Mar 2010
Perspective EMEA Retail Industry Update: October to December 2009 Jan-Mar 2010
Perspective National Retail Federation (NRF) 2010 Review Jan-Mar 2010
Business Strategy EMEA Consumer Electronics Retail Business Strategies and IT Directions Jan-Mar 2010
Pivot Table Western European Retail/Wholesale IT Spending Guide 2008-2013 Apr-Jun 2010
Technology Selection EU Retail, Enterprise IT Solutions Investments Trends Apr-Jun 2010
Business Strategy EMEA Apparel Retail Business Strategies and IT Directions Apr-Jun 2010
Perspective EMEA Retail Industry Update: January to March 2010 Apr-Jun 2010
Perspective EMEA Retail Industry Update: April to June 2010 Jul-Sep 2010
Technology Selection EU Retail, Industry-Specific Applications Investments Trends Jul-Sep 2010
Technology Selection EU Retail, ICT Budget Dynamics Jul-Sep 2010
Business Strategy EMEA Grocery Retail Business Strategies and IT Directions Jul-Sep 2010
Business Strategy Retailing in "Emerging" EMEA Markets Update Oct-Dec 2010
Perspective EMEA Retail Industry Update: July to September 2010 Oct-Dec 2010
Vendor Assessment Top-15 ICT Vendors in EMEA Retail, 2010 Oct-Dec 2010

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 Top 10 Predictions Oct-Dec 2009
Perspective Managing Security and Privacy Oct-Dec 2009
Perspective Evaluating Managed Services for Networking Oct-Dec 2009
Perspective Document Management in Retail Oct-Dec 2009
Methods and Practices Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Strategies for Retail Jan-Mar 2010
Perspective A Report Card: How Did Your Infrastructure Hold up this Holiday Jan-Mar 2010
Perspective Storage Management Strategies in Retail Jan-Mar 2010
Perspective Managing Your E-Commerce Platform Jan-Mar 2010
Vendor Assessment Top Specialty Vendors in Technology Oriented Value Chains Apr-Jun 2010
Perspective Wireless Network Management in Retail Apr-Jun 2010
Perspective Should You Outsource IT Apr-Jun 2010
Perspective The State of Application Integration in Retail Apr-Jun 2010
Business Strategy Retail Industry: 2011 Budget Guide Jul-Sep 2010
Perspective Back to School on Digital Signage Jul-Sep 2010
Perspective Maintaining Point of Sale Equipment Jul-Sep 2010
Perspective Top 5 Most Important IT Standards for Retail Jul-Sep 2010
Perspective Application Portfolio Management in Retail Jul-Sep 2010
Perspective Do You Have a Data Warehousing Strategy Jul-Sep 2010
Top 10 Predictions 2011 Top 10 Predictions for Manufacturing Oct-Dec 2010
Perspective What's New in Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) for Retail Oct-Dec 2010

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
Technology Selection Consumer Privacy and Payment Security in Global Retail Oct-Dec 2009
Business Strategy Immersive Shopping Experience � Hot Consumer Applications That Build Valuable Customer Relationships Oct-Dec 2009
Technology Selection Will Self-Service Grow in Worldwide Retail? Oct-Dec 2009
Technology Selection Telecommunication, Networking and Mobile Solutions Strategies in EMEA Retail Stores Oct-Dec 2009
Methods and Practices Retail Store Systems Architecture Trends, Archetypes of POS Buyers and Return on Investment (ROI) Model Oct-Dec 2009
Business Strategy Social Shopping Networks: Opportunities, Strategies and Risks for Retailers Globally Oct-Dec 2009
Business Strategy Omni Social Retailing Strategies, Anticipating the Future in the Retail World Oct-Dec 2009
Top 10 Predictions Global Retail Top 10 Predictions for 2010 Jan-Mar 2010
Perspective National Retail Federation (NRF) 2010 Review Jan-Mar 2010
Vendor Assessment Global Point of Sale (POS) Vendors Review Jan-Mar 2010
Perspective Mobile Retail Revolution: From Wireless Associates to Always Connected Consumer Interaction Jan-Mar 2010
Best Practices Network Video Analytics for Superior Consumer Experience and Precision Merchandising Jan-Mar 2010
Technology Selection The State of Customer Loyalty Applications Apr-Jun 2010
Perspective Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for Consumer-Facing Applications: What's Hot and What's Not Apr-Jun 2010
Business Strategy Promotions Management Applications and Digital Signage: Driving Interactivity Apr-Jun 2010
Business Strategy The New Unified Communication Retail Paradigm: Service Your Customers Better With Live Rich Omni-Channel Support Jul-Sep 2010
Technology Selection The Retailer and Consumer Benefit of Labor Management software Jul-Sep 2010
Technology Selection Advanced Retail Network Security and Consumer Data Privacy Jul-Sep 2010
Best Practices Advanced Consumer Intelligence In Practice Oct-Dec 2010
Technology Selection Self-Service Technology Investment Trends and Adoption Patterns Oct-Dec 2010
Vendor Assessment Online Commerce/Multi-Channel Retail Software VendorReview Oct-Dec 2010
Perspective Payment Technology Directions: On the Road to Ubiquitous Contactless Payments Oct-Dec 2010
Perspective Influencing Consumer Behaviors - 2010 Achievements, 2011 Requirements Oct-Dec 2010

Retail Supply Chain, Demand Planning, and Merchandising Strategies

IDC Retail Insights’ Retail Supply Chain, Demand Planning, and Merchandising Strategies service examines the impact of technology investments and process initiatives on the performance of enterprise retail systems behind the store.  In the scope of this service are critical IT and process components of the retail supply chain, including global sourcing, product lifecycle management for private label merchandise, logistics systems (warehouse and transportation) as well as RFID,  replenishment and allocation planning. Also reviewed are merchandising capabilities such as assortment planning, category management, pricing and promotion, markdown planning, and perishables management. Specific coverage is given to demand intelligence technology and its role in providing analytics and predictive insight that will drive all elements of retail planning.

Document Type Document Title Publish Date
Business Strategy Retail Investment Strategy: The Convergence of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Enterprise Application Suite (EAS) for Apparel and Footwear Oct-Dec 2009
Perspective Are Private Brand Masters Always Technology Leaders? Oct-Dec 2009
Perspective Taking the Complexity Out of Global Trade Management Oct-Dec 2009
Perspective National Retail Federation (NRF) Perspective Jan-Mar 2010
Best Practices Retail Best Practices in Global Trade Management Jan-Mar 2010
Perspective Simplifying "Sustainable" Recall and Returns Management Jan-Mar 2010
Perspective Product Information Proliferation: Meeting Customer Product Information Needs Jan-Mar 2010
Technology Selection Linking Warehouse Automation to Merchandise and Demand Intelligence Apr-Jun 2010
Perspective Reset Retail Supply Chain Technology Priorities Apr-Jun 2010
Perspective Higher Customer Satisfaction Tied to Food Traceability Apr-Jun 2010
Best Practices Retail Product Life-Cycle Management (PLM) Best Practices by Segment (Apparel & Footwear, Grocery, Drug and Convenience Retailers, Hardlines, Big Box) Apr-Jun 2010
Perspective Retail Sustainability: How Invested are Retailers Now? Jul-Sep 2010
Perspective Applying Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) Practices to In Store Automation Jul-Sep 2010
Perspective Retail - Supplier Collaboration Speeds Product to Market Jul-Sep 2010
Perspective Smarter Product Lifecycle Management Jul-Sep 2010
Business Strategy Customer Centric Optimization (Demand, Price, Promo, Space) Oct-Dec 2010
Perspective Sustainability Opportunities and Successes Oct-Dec 2010
Perspective Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Momentum Heading into the Next Decade Oct-Dec 2010
Perspective Retail Product Life-Cycle Management (PLM) Configuration Management Oct-Dec 2010

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 Industry IT Spending Guide Jan-Mar 2010
Pivot Table Mid year Update Oct-Dec 2010