Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0107 Gap and Omni-channel

Gap Inc., has made public to their investors some of the effects and ongoing work they've been doing in fulfilling their concept of multiple channels of operation (omni-channel).  Chain Store Age has a write-up on it here:

http://chainstoreage.com/article/gap-details-omni-channel-strategy-global-growth?ad=technology

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Gap Inc. highlighted its use of technology and innovation to bridge the growing digital world with its physical stores at the company’s annual meeting with investors. In new initiatives, the retailer is expanding its reserve in-store service to all U.S. Gap stores by the end of the second quarter, enabling online and mobile shoppers to now reserve items at more than 1,000 Gap and Banana Republic store locations.

The connected world is a different place and the mobile internet is changing fundamental processes.  Gap is one of the leaders in this space, innovating and 'failing fast' to ensure they don't fall behind.  What can other retailers learn from their example?

Retail Information Systems has a good write-up that coincides with this thinking though you'll have to register to download the report.

http://risnews.edgl.com/reports

Here is one snippet from that I found interesting:

One final point and a big one: the best-of-breed approach to software, long the dominant architecture approach, is in a state of flux. It is not going away any time soon, and, in fact, it is not being supplanted by any alternative, such as integrated solutions suites or software as a service. (See Figure 4.)

However, evidence indicates it may no longer remain the dominant force it has been for the last two decades. This year, 38.1% of retailers chose best-of-breed software to describe their architectural approach to software, a nearly 20-point drop from last year’s 57%. Conversely, using in-house IT resources to develop software jumped to 44.1% and first place on the list, which is up from 31% and last place in 2013.

Why the dramatic year-over-year swings? Call it the innovation effect. If you can buy a best-of-breed solution off the shelf, so can all of your competitors.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

**UPDATE**  Another story on Gap Inc., and their digital efforts:
http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/gap-prioritizes-responsive-web-as-part-of-300m-digital-investment

Good read.