Business Strategy: Western Europe Merchandising and Content Management Applications Investment Trends — An IDC Retail Insights Survey

This IDC Retail Insights study assesses the current adoption and 2012 investment plans for the most relevant merchandise demand forecasting software solutions. This report leverages and presents the key findings of the IDC Retail Insights Survey carried out in the second half of 2011 in the top 5 Western European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the U.K.) among 240 retail companies with more than 20 employees.

"Western European retailers are moving toward a new merchandise and assortment approach. However, companies' focus is still rooted in products rather than customers and customer experience. Merchants are still caught up in a limbo whose 'stairway to heaven' is represented by the adoption of the O3 platform," said Ivano Ortis, head, IDC Retail Insights International.

"New merchandise capabilities will be added by Western European retailers in retail planning, retail demand intelligence, and merchandise management applications," said Luca Bonacina, research analyst, IDC Retail Insights.