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'Our focus is to go after big retail chains

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DQI Bureau
New Update

What is Microsofts focus on the retail market segment?



In todays enterprise context, delivering specific solutions to verticals is

the key and top priority for all vendors. Keeping this in mind, Microsoft India

has identified retail as a focus vertical and one that the company is going to

strongly focus on. We have also identified emerging markets as one of the top

priorities for us in retail. In India, the retail market segment is taking shape

right now. We have people with industry and technical knowledge. At the global

level also, we have a very similar process and we get a lot of retail experience

into the company.

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Where are you prioritizing in the Indian market?



Organized retailing is still a small market in India. The retail sector in

India is estimated to be $280 bn, out of which organized retail accounts for a

meager 5%. Our strategy in India is to prioritize it. We cant be everything to

everybody. Therefore, the focus in the beginning is to go after big retail

chains. It is important to decide where to focus our resources and time.

Mediocre commitments lead to mediocre results.

What key challenges do retailers face today? How can technology help in

overcoming these challenges?



Today, the challenges, or rather business objectives, of retailers center

around scouting for new markets, ie, expansion, experimenting with new and

different formats, providing innovative services, and looking at new channels

like e-commerce. Another challenge that retailers are now increasingly facing is

opening of new stores.

How can IT help in addressing these challenges?



The retail solution landscape broadly spans across solutions for the

front-end, back-end, and the middle layer. The back-end includes supplier

collaboration, merchandising and planning, warehouse management, distribution

and returns management, inventory management, and control. The front-end

encompasses point-of-sale, store operations, billing, CRM, mobile device

solutions, digital signage in stores, and dashboard for store managers. The

all-encompassing middle layer includes real time analytics, performance

management, and supply chain optimization.

Shipra Malhotra



shipram@cybermedia.co.in

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