Retailing today is one of the largest, most buoyant and most competitive market sectors. The large, medium and small retailers, providers of systems are the major players in this market. The exploitation of information technology and the use of quantitative corporate models are emerging as key factors in determining the strength and effectiveness of marketing plans and support logistics. Many major retailers have developed considerable in-house expertise in this area and many hardÂ- ware manufacturers and systems houses have created special divisions to provide turn-key installations, products and services in order to exploit these opportunities. However, in the research leading up to the seminar on which this book is based, a number of important gaps in retailer useage of systems were noted. While many retailers, including the large multiples, had very sophisticated electronic point of sales devices, the information that was available was not being used to plan effective marketing and selling strategies, nor yet to plan for growth. In the medium and smaller companies there was still concern whether electronic point of sales were cost effective for them or whether being without such aids put them at a grave disadvantage vis-a-vis their larger competitors.
