In March 2009, 4Retail conducted a survey of the design and sourcing functions across retail to establish where retailers see the most scope for cost reduction and where these initiatives might cross pollinate to increase competitiveness and create more effective and efficient ways of working for employees.

Research Summary

Of the retailers who responded:

• Many admitted to having a poor IT system for their Design & Development and Buying areas in place and yet these were the areas, where they felt there was a high potential for cost savings and revenue enhancement.
• Within the Design and Selection processes, respondents felt that lead times and collaboration could be significantly improved.
• The cost of Buying and Sourcing could also be improved through more communication during product development and the costing of the first product
• Within the Supply Chain the areas respondents felt there was most potential for cost improvements were in terms of communication, container utilisation and warehouse management

To find out more about the 4Retail survey and how 4Retail tackles these challenges, please enter your information below to receive a free download of the full report.