The Retail Design Expo is a brand new event to the retail industry and has been created with a focus very much centred on the physical store environment. The retail marketplace continues to evolve at a rapid pace, with ever-advancing technology very much at the forefront of the revolution. With this in mind, Momentum Instore is very much looking forward to being an exhibitor at this highly important event and letting people know just what kind of services we can offer to help their businesses grow.

Retail audits are about so much more than just confirming stock levels or ensuring compliance standards are met. By taking note of the results and acting accordingly, retail organisations can streamline their businesses and drive sales forward. In order to be able to thrive in today’s highly competitive and fast-paced marketplace, retailers need to have the capacity to make decisions quickly in order to react to constant changes in sales trends.

It is not just the digital age that we live in today. In recent years, what began as a by-product of the internet-centric society has snowballed into a colossal force that has changed the way people communicate and even, in some cases, how they live their lives. This phenomenon is social media. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter not only rule the online world but, in many ways, exert immense power over the physical one. Many people often feel more comfortable communicating with each other via a social media message than they do by face-to-face conversation.

There is little doubt that today’s society is very data-centric, with seemingly endless amounts of information available to anyone who has the desire or the patience to look for it. This deluge of information has given birth to the term 'big data', encapsulating all manner of analytics which, just a few years ago, would not have been possible to capture fully. One industry sector which is perfectly primed to take full advantage of this growth in data is retail. The fast-paced nature of today’s retail marketplace, operating on a multi-channel basis, means that important marketing decisions have to be made quickly in order to respond to fluctuating market trends. However, some national retail organisations are a little reluctant to delve too deep into the world of big data, perhaps unsure of how they can capture it or indeed make best use of the information provided. There are a number of reasons why these retailers are in danger of falling behind in the marketplace.

It is an undeniable fact that the continual advances in modern-day technology are changing the way that many business sectors operate. From manufacturing industries to service sectors such as retail and real estate, there is a new revolution in progress. The traditional way of doing things is in danger of becoming extinct.

In today’s technologically advanced world, information is king. Not only is there perhaps a greater amount of information available than at any time previously, but the actual quality and accuracy of that data is incredibly consistent. In terms of the retail sector, big data is utilised mainly in the planning and subsequent implementation of promotions, campaigns and the distribution of new product lines. Retail software is used to report on exactly what is selling at any given time and to forecast what the next trends will be during the new season. While it is, of course, highly advantageous to have this kind of data to hand in today’s ultra-competitive multi-channel retail environment, it seems that many retailers may be missing out on an equally important reporting mechanism – InSite.