E-commerce

IDC reveals its top 10 predictions that will impact global technology spending and the use of information technology in the manufacturing and retail industries. Covering 3D value chains and servitization optimization to big data and immersive commerce, these predictions will help both sides of the supply chain grasp emerging market opportunities and plan for future growth.

We have heard the argument by some consumer goods manufacturers that direct-to-consumer e-commerce will upset their retailer. This is changing. The Apparel & Footwear sector moved beyond this argument, and other sectors are soon to change the dynamic as well. Whether they open their own stores, follow China's model of a store-within-a-store, sell via Amazon or direct-to-consumer via web sites, change is upon us.

The five-day period from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday is the highest five-day stretch in online sales for the retailer to date, and Walmart.com processed more than one billion page views during that period.

While Black Friday (and now Thanksgiving Day) is the traditional kick off to the brick-and-mortar holiday shopping season, both days continue to grow in importance online. Meanwhile, Cyber Monday reached $1.735 billion in desktop online spending, representing the heaviest online spending day in history.

As Grand Prize Winners, both products will be sold on Walmart.com and receive additional online marketing support.

Despite the e-commerce boom, brick-and-mortar stores should still account for approximately 85 percent of U.S. retail sales in 2025. But that doesn't mean your company should stand still. Here, McKinsey & Company identifies five trends will most impact on the industry, from demographic changes to emerging retail business models.

Application Support and Maintenance (ASM) is quickly becoming an IT agenda, but probably not for the right reasons.

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