The following articles were written by Booz & Company partners and other senior professionals on key topics in the retail sector.
|
In 2011, fears of a double-dip recession caused consumer confidence to sink again. Our annual consumer survey found that spending was most constrained among low-income shoppers, who continued to feel recessionary pressures. As one might expect, shoppers at the higher end felt less squeezed.read more >
|
 |
|
As consumers seek a simplified shopping experience that is customized to their needs, retailers and manufacturers will have to become curators of the ideal assortment.download (281kb, PDF) >
|
 |
|
In-store service has become a vital dimension for retailers that want to deliver a superior, differentiated experience. This article reviews the services that really matter to customers and offers a framework for choosing the best approach.download (432kb, PDF) >
|
 |
|
Companies that want to build holistic relationships with selected suppliers across the value chain, which can result in higher revenue and lower costs than the old haggling habits, must pursue collaboration and cross-functional participation.download (275kb, PDF) >
|
 |
Further Articles
|
Retail Analytics: The Route to Improved Profitability for Middle East Retailers |
Middle East retailers are investing to retail analytics, a discipline can inform their decisions in areas such as category management, inventory practices, and responding to competitors’ moves. To get the most from these investments, they will need to build capabilities that allow them to use data effectively. download (422kb, PDF) > |
|
Delivering Results When it Matters Most: A Memo to the Chief Sales Officer |
Successful CSOs will step up to the challenge by delivering profitable volume, reducing and optimizing selling costs, and providing timely, fact-based insights into fast-changing customer needs and desires. download (221kb, PDF) > |
|
Next-Generation Supply Chains Bigger Steps, Smaller Footprints |
Companies must realign their supply chains, including rethinking product formulation and packaging, restructuring the supply chain network and footprint, and realigning the role of suppliers and third parties. download (316kb, PDF) > |
|
Sourcing Transformation |
In no other period has sourcing had so much power to make a significant impact in support of a company’s strategic direction and overall competitiveness. download (266kb, PDF) > |
|
The New CPO |
To build world-class purchasing departments, companies must make stellar appointments—filling senior procurement jobs with people who can become tomorrow’s top corporate leaders. This article offers five steps for recruiting top talent to the function. download (339kb, PDF) > |
|
Getting Creative: Efficient Sourcing in Marketing |
Companies can take four steps toward managing their marketing dollars more efficiently: Analyze marketing spending; adopt a more rigorous approach to spending; deploy decision support tools; and clearly delineate roles and responsibilities. download (243kb, PDF) > |
|
Handheld Devices: The Next Phase of Trade Promotion Excellence |
Handhelds can provide valuable data at every stage of the promotion program, from assessment before the event, to analysis afterward, to planning for the future, to tracking and reporting field sales force productivity. download (248kb, PDF) > |
|
Moments of Choice: Driving Profitable Growth with Shelf-Centered Collaboration |
Covering topics such as trade promotion effectiveness, coordination of the supply chain, and effective use of shelf space, this book represents a rare source of competitive advantage in today’s dynamic marketplace. read more > |
|
Sourcing Reloaded: Targeting Procurement’s New Strategic Agenda |
We discuss the next wave of sourcing excellence, the new role of the CPO, green sourcing, collaborative supplier relationships, improved strategies for commodities procurement and supply chain resilience, and global and low-cost-country sourcing. read more > |
|
The Power of Operational POS: From Managing at the Mean to Managing the Meaningful |
New capabilities are redefining how manufacturers and retailers work together to grab their share of customers’ wallets. download (307kb, PDF) > |
|
The Missing Metric: Measuring Shelf-Space Profitability |
If retailers and manufacturers had an objective and easily duplicated metric for shelf-space profitability, they could craft better decisions about which products to stock and how to best make use of all that space. download (276kb, PDF) > |
|
Keeping Inventory and Profits Off the Discount Rack: Merchandise Strategies to Improve Apparel Margins |
In focusing their attention on saving a few cents per unit, apparel retailers may be missing an opportunity to significantly increase profits through better design of their merchandise value chain. download (385kb, PDF) > |
