With the death of technology shows, how’s a retailer to find a system?

With the recent decline and eventual demise of all retail techology shows in the UK, there is a question over how potential buyers find potential suppliers. Of course the simple internet search using Google is the obvious answer and it is probably the success of internet search which has caused the afforementioned demise. Searches of the whole internet though, tend to bring back a pretty mixed bag of results and you would need to try several search terms to get a reasonable list. It would also not be possible to filter the results by companies based in the UK, or those supplying systems using Microsoft technology, for example.

In reponse to this problem, a couple of new directories have sprung up. The first is On Windows. This is managed by Tudor Rose who publish Retail Speak and is for Microsoft partners only. This type of information is also on the microsoft.com but if you are looking for a specialist retail systems, the On Windows site is much easier.

Secondly Conjungo is providing supplier search service for all types of system across all industries. Retail Technology magazine is planning to link to this engine in the near future.

The limitations of this type of directory are that they only list suppliers who have paid to be listed and those suppliers get to write their own entry. It is therefore very hard to get a view on the quality of the suppliers and you will only see those who have paid to be on the directory. Of course this is also true of internet searches – suppliers write their own websites and only those who invest in SEO will do well in the searches. However, for the technology buyer these developments can only be good news. Suppliers will need to think carefully about how they spend their marketing budgets.

Why catalogues have it in a recession

Here’s the scenario – you are trying to cut down on expenditure – no major trips to shopping centres, no cruising the web looking for things to buy… and a catalogue plops through your door. Maybe it is a brand you know and love or maybe it just has eye catching photography on the cover. You’re not in shopping mode, there is no harm in just flicking through it.. It looks interesting, you put it on the coffee table and pick it up later. You notice there is a free postage and packaging, there is a 20% discount… and before you know it, you’ve identified something you really need and are on the computer buying it. Or at the very least you might earmark something to look out for in the sale.

Like no other medium the catalogue catches you at home when you are relaxed and online ordering makes it so easy it is hard to resist. Catalogues themselves have improved in quality out of all recognition and delivery have improved from a typical 28 days when I was a child to next day. It is no wonder that this form of retailing is gaining market share in the current economic climate. Is the public gradually losing the habit of shopping on the high street?

What do you think of the new Retail Week?

The new format Retail Week has had a couple of weeks now. It certainly fits in your bag more easily. I like the opinion pieces in the centre section of the publication but what has happened to the technology page? There is still an indepth technology article but there is no specific technology news page.

I suppose we will just have to rely on Retail Technology, Retail Systems and Retail Speak… and this blog of course.