STORES Magazine - January 2009 - (Page 13)

EDIT P&G Invests in Ocado When the news broke last month that Procter & Gamble had bought a stake in British online grocer Ocado, consumer product goods experts were left scratching their heads. The $7.5 million investment gives P&G a modest 1 percent ownership position in Ocado, a partner of the Waitrose supermarket chain, and comes on the heels of a recent test selling products directly to consumers through theessentials.com, a website owned by Field Cos. A P&G statement said the move was designed to add to the company’s knowledge of Internet shopping. “It’s an opportunity for us to deepen our understanding of the unique shopper knowledge that Ocado offers,” P&G spokeswoman Tressie Long said. “We see it as fertile testing ground for new ideas in the online space.” Industry watchers speculate that there’s more to this than meets the eye, theorizing that it could mean a bigger move toward vertical integration, and affords the opportunity to ommends mattresses and other accessories that will achieve the greatest pressure relief and body alignment; the third uses a customer’s individual size and shape to further personalize his or her sleeping needs. “The differentiating feature of this concept is its integration of interactive technology to educate and help the customer select the most appropriate product for his or her sleep needs,” says Eight principal Wilhelm Oehl. ADVERTORIAL Univations – The Possibilities are with “U” Industry research shows that consumer acceptance of self-service solutions is exploding. As a result, increasing numbers of retailers in various verticals are planning for and deploying technology that empowers consumers to serve themselves. However, entering the selfservice world is a significant business decision and requires a strategic commitment. The same should be said of the vendor prepared to partner on such a serious initiative. Paving the way for retailers to reach their self-service goals is Fujitsu’s Self Service Univations™. Building on the company’s well-known U-Scan self-checkout brand, Fujitsu Univations encompass all forms of self-service, and will be driven by consumers, employees and retailers alike. So what is driving those folks to self service solutions? Consumers today seek consistent and convenient service during their shopping experience – no surprises. They want choice, they want control, they want relevance and they want speed. Employees want to confidently help their customers when appropriate. They want to provide correct information about products and services and get customers on their way as quickly as possible. And retailers – they want the customers and employees to be happy and productive. They want to control costs; provide attractive service options for their customers; take the surprises out of service; and drive up visits and transaction sizes. Already experienced as a top selfcheckout and self-service solution provider, Fujitsu is launching this focused initiative to develop and provide a total self-service solution for retailers. Retailers will be able to leverage Fujitsu’s expertise and technological innovations to assess their unique business needs including: infrastructure interoperability, improved customer service, labor considerations, security, location and aesthetics. us.fujitsu.com/retailing • marketinginfo@us.fujitsu.com • 800.340.4425 WWW.STORES.ORG STORES / JANUARY 2009 13 http://www.theessentials.com http://us.fujitsu.com/retailing http://WWW.STORES.ORG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of STORES Magazine - January 2009

STORES Magazine - Jauary 2008 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Mechanical Marvel P&G Invests in Ocado Now I Remember What Shoppers Think 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Breaking the Monotony Multi-Channel Concept2Watch E-Commerce Analytics Category Management IT Systems In-Store Technology IT Systems Communications Website Strategy Communications SOA Energy Video Surveillance Employee Theft Online Fraud Industry Perspective Loeb Retail Letter ARTS Update Point of View NRF News Retail Crossword End Cap

STORES Magazine - January 2009

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