More than any other business driver, competition characterizes the retail industry. Globalization, deflation, diversification of sales channels and, most of all, changing customer demands have merged to create a cutthroat environment in which retailers struggle to turn a profit.
These profitability challenges involve both revenue and cost. Sales remain flat with many companies not understanding customer behavior and buying habits well enough to make the right decisions about product, price, promotion and placement. And without the ability to explore every facet of the organization across business units and geographies, it can be a struggle to understand and manage the costs required to do business.
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