Amsterdam 7 Oktober 2004 - Naar verwachting zal het middensegment in de retailsector binnen zes jaar gaan verdwijnen. Vanwege radicale veranderingen in de markt zal de retailbranche -sterker dan welke andere markt dan ook- een sector van uitersten worden. Retailbedrijven zullen ofwel de weg van de mega-retailers volgen die kiezen voor 'voldoende waar voor geld' tegen extreem lage prijzen, of kiezen voor unieke niches in de markt om specifieke behoeften van consumenten aan te spreken. Dit blijkt uit twee recente onderzoeken van IBM Business Consulting Services naar het 'uitsterven' van het middensegment in de retailsector.
Een aantal conclusies uit de onderzoeken
- Traditionele klantsegmenten verdwijnen en veranderen in nieuwe 'micro-segmenten'. De gemiddelde klant bestaat niet meer;
- De consument beschermt zichzelf steeds beter tegen traditionele marketing, door nieuwe technologie en wetgeving;
- Consumenten willen ten alle tijden toegang krijgen tot informatie van retailers;
- Grenzen verdwijnen dankzij mega-retailers. Winkelketens worden steeds internationaler;
- Concurrentie in de retailsector wordt niet langer alleen, maar met partners aangegaan.
Bijgaand treft u het gehele -Engelstalige- persbericht aan:
Daarnaast organiseert IBM begin november een rondetafel discussie over de retailmarkt.
Voor meer informatie:
Tineke Mertens
Manager Communications
IBM Nederland
Off: +31 36 545 4594
tineke.mertens@nl.ibm.com
IBM STUDIES FORECAST EXTINCTION OF RETAIL MIDDLE GROUND; MAJOR PRODUCT REPOSITIONING BY 2010
Growing Gulf Between Megaplayers and Focused Specialists Polarises the Marketplace
IBM Business Consulting Services (BCS) has released two reports predicting the extinction of the middle ground market space in the retail industry, and a dramatic repositioning of consumer products by 2010. Due to radical shifts in these industries, a “world of extremes” will emerge in which surviving retail companies will either follow the lead of mega-retailers who are delivering “good enough” value for extremely low prices, or create unique market niches to address very specific needs of shoppers. Consumer product companies will also need to offer outstanding price value or create products that elicit true emotional attachment from consumers.
The consumer marketplace of 2010 will be unlike any other in history, categorised by extreme polarisation and unprecedented complexity and divergence. How companies engage with customers, enable employees and architect their enterprises in this extreme environment will determine their position in the new landscape. Those unwilling to transform their businesses may not survive.
Key trends identified in the reports, “The Retail Divide: Leadership in a World of Extremes,” and “Consumer Products 2010: Executing to Lead in a World of Extremes,” that are re-drawing the business environment in both the retail and consumer products industries include:
Consumer value drivers fragment: Consumer segments are fragmenting into much smaller, micro-segments that do away with the notion of the “average”
consumer, as a result of shifts in demographics, attitudes and patterns of buying behavior. Retailers and consumer product companies will operate in a world where established norms are no more, and serving the needs of the “average” consumer only hastens their demise.
Gatekeepers become more guarded: Time-strapped consumers are seeking greater control over their interactions with businesses. With new technology and regulations on their side, they will actively shield themselves from traditional marketing tactics. Only companies offering differentiated, relevant value will gain access to consumers.
Information exposes all: Consumers will have unparalleled access to information -- virtually wherever, whenever and however they want it.
Retailers and brand companies must provide value propositions and shopping experiences that keep consumers coming back -- even in a world of total information transparency.
Mega-retailers blur the boundaries: The world’s top retailers are rapidly expanding across geographies, channel formats and product/service categories, blurring market segments and devouring market share. Aspiring “mega-retailers” will need to figure out how to maintain growth at ever-increasing levels of scale and complexity. Meanwhile, their competitors must successfully differentiate themselves in order to survive.
Consumer product brands also must find new ways of remaining relevant to consumers and retail customers, or risk being squeezed out of the market.
Partnering becomes pervasive: Competition will no longer be a solo game.
Leading companies in both industries are morphing their enterprises into flexible “value networks” based on strong integration and collaboration with alliance partners. Industry competitors will face increased pressure to match the responsiveness and agility of these connected and mutually dependent business models.
The reports outline very specific steps that retailers and consumer products companies will need to take in order to survive – let alone take market leadership – in this new environment.
Retailers need to:
Craft an exceedingly focused, distinctive brand proposition that firmly aligns their organisation’s “DNA” with consumers’ needs with and their unique selling proposition.
Exploit new tools, techniques and data sources to drive innovation through deeper customer insights, in an effort to understand the true drivers of customer behavior so that new product, concept and market strategies can be accelerated.
Optimise core activities through systematic intelligence so their people can work smarter, not just harder. To accomplish this they must improve performance in core functions -- such as merchandising, pricing and store operations -- by augmenting traditional approaches with advanced analytics.
Address the internal constraints that hold them back today, so they can realign the organisation into one that is truly customer-centric in strategy and execution.
Consumer products companies should:
Deliver consumer -insight driven innovation, faster, by accelerating the new product development and introduction process..
Develop superior service as a key differentiator. Powerful retail customers will be looking for suppliers to make greater investments in the retailer’s success. Consumer products companies that desire preferred supplier status will need to develop the organisational capabilities necessary to shift from pushing products to partnering and providing services.
Build “fit for purpose” supply chains. Supply networks will need to be tailored to particular products, channels, and retail customers to maximise responsiveness to changing consumer tastes and buying patterns.
Discontinue driving incremental improvement in all areas. Instead they need to drive systematic transformation by focusing the entire enterprise on what really matters and addressing the key operating model components where change is critical. Those that lag too far behind will find it increasingly difficult to catch up.
To learn more about these studies, visit ww.ibm.com/bcs/retail or www.ibm.com/bcs/consumerproducts.