THE EVOLUTION OF RETAIL TRADE

Buyers have evolved their expectations and the use of advanced technologies, only in the state of Sonora, nine out of 10 minors between the ages of six and 17 are Internet users, according to INEGI data, causing the retail industry to also find itself in the midst of a profound change in operating methods. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT's) tools, They greatly speed up common actions that all companies carry out, and serve as a basis for using other more advanced services to improve the positioning of their businesses and increase sales.

Merchants around the world are investing in IoT (Internet of Things) technologies to redefine their operations and customer experience. They are redesigning their supply chains to include advances that enable automation and real-time visibility.

Integrating the physical with the digital experience – While online and mobile commerce have transformed the shopping experience, the 91% of sales still surges in stores. Merchants are investing in improving the customer experience through digitization, integrating the physical experience with the digital one. This is how the buy online and pick up in store model was born, buyers have become accustomed to the convenience of having everything at their fingertips via the internet, the growing practice of buying online and picking up or making a return in store. The integration of e-commerce with the in-store experience, the fulfillment and delivery of orders made online and in the store as strategic objectives. Therefore, individual processes in the supply chain migrate to unified commerce models with full visibility of workers, store representatives, buyers and merchandise inventories. In addition to warehouses, innovative delivery services are explored, wherever your customer is located.

Merchants are investing in redesigning their supply chains to focus on tracking all inventory that is for sale, which is at the heart of any retail operation. If parcels, first-aid kits, automotive parts, among others, were connected to the Internet and equipped with identification devices, there would be, in theory, no out-of-stock items or expired medicines; we would know exactly the location and how they are consumed.

Knowledge about purchasing patterns, identifying customer preferences and behavior, regional trends, and even the relationship between the different sales products, bring great benefits, although the analysis of digital data has a long way to go.