Planning & Assortment. Improved forecasting, better inventory allocation for the Web channel, and general inventory management top the list of things that some retailers plan to do differently for Holiday 2012. To that end, many expect to invest in better inventory management in the coming months.
Infrastructure & Operations. Retailers shared that site performance continues to be an area that needs attention, so this year they plan to invest in additional server capacity, site stability measures, and additional infrastructure improvements.
Marketing & Promotions. Retailers this year are investing in, among other areas, all things search – both site search and SEO / SEM.
Shipping & Fulfillment. “Fulfillment improvements,” “operational capacity” and “finding a way to extend the shipping cut off to Canada – lots of missed opportunity” were some of the comments retailers shared about what they will do differently for Holiday 2012. Retailers surveyed noted that logistics and operations will see investment this year, along with investments in drop ship management processes and related measures by which to extend shipping deadlines overall.
Mobile. Not surprisingly, smart phone and tablet device optimization will likely see much work this year. (For tablet device design tips, please see also “Proof that tablets are here to stay”.)
Customer Experience. Several retailers feel that the customer experience is something they particularly want to improve in time for Holiday 2012, from “end to end customer experience” to the overall multichannel shopping experience. Bravo to retailers who plan to focus on this area, particularly as shopping channels increasingly converge.