Sept. 4, 2012, Toronto — Canadian retailers will invest an estimated $84
million in mobile solutions this year, according to the results of a
survey by International Data Corp. Canada and the Retail Council of
Canada.
IDC Canada and the RCC expect this figure to grow to almost $200
million by 2016, representing a compound annual growth rate of 18.7 per
cent.
“The findings are a compelling indication of what Canadian
retailers need to do to keep up. Our results also show how Canadian
retailers are responding by expanding their IT investment in the face of
competition from the U.S., from the marketplace and from the empowered
consumer,” said Leslie Hand, research director IDC Retail Insights.
“Innovative retailers understand the need for increased capital
investments in omni-channel retailing to better complete in this
ever-changing marketplace.”
“While a majority of Canadian
retailers are just starting to fund mobility initiatives, the spending
estimates from the survey for retail mobility in Canada reflect
significant spending ambition for the next several years,” said Diane J.
Brisebois, president and CEO of RCC. “As Canadian consumers continue to
embrace digital technologies to shop and make purchasing decisions,
Canadian retailers are recognizing the need to respond by engaging with
the consumer in more innovative ways.”
Mobile solution spending
includes the hardware (devices and routers, but not including network
infrastructure), software and services to enable customer and employee
access to offers and information.
The survey also revealed that
the increasing presence of U.S. retailers and a competitive retail
environment mean Canadian retailers must differentiate themselves
through enhanced customer and employee engagement.
The
Interactive Retailing Maturity model, which shows the stages of mobile
technology penetration for Canadian retailers, was derived from the
findings of the 2012 Retail Mobility survey. The model highlights six
phases of interactive retail maturity:
The
majority of surveyed retailers (57 per cent) have not yet enabled
interactive retail solutions (None & Phase 0). Of those that have
made the move to mobility, most are still at a foundational stage (Phase
1) building infrastructure and conducting pilots. Only 14 per cent of
retailers have progressed beyond this initial phase.
IDC Canada and RCC's Enterprise Mobility survey of Canadian retailers took place between February and March 2012.
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