NCR Corporation is global technology company helping the world connect, interact, and transact with business. NCR’s assisted- and self-service solutions and accompanying support services address the needs of retail, financial, travel, hospitality, gaming, public sector, telecom carriers, and equipment organizations in more than 100 countries. Recently, the company announced its intention to acquire Retalix.

On January 14, 2013, at the upcoming National Retail Federation (NRF) Big Show, NCR’s Chris Lybeer will be presenting findings and insights on omni-channel retail from both the shopper and retailer perspectives. The presentation is based on a nine-country survey of shoppers and retailers NCR conducted as well as from Lybeer’s own experiences in the retail world and other industry insights. Lybeer will also discuss how leading retailers today are using innovative technology to meet consumer demand for mobile-enhanced shopping, personalized offers, and integration across channels to deliver superior shopping experiences and earn a greater share of wallet.

NCR surveyed leading global retailers and hundreds of shoppers in the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Spain, Sweden, and Italy as part of the research. A sneak preview press release cites a new global study of shoppers and retailers that shows consumers seek personalized and integrated multichannel experiences to make their everyday lives easier. It offers the following examples:

• Globally, 52 percent of shoppers say they want the option of using mobile technology to scan and pay for items while shopping. However, among major retailers around the world, only 12 percent offered this solution.
• Almost 70 percent of shoppers around the world say they would welcome personalized offers delivered electronically, while only 27 percent of grocery retailers provided this service.
• In the US, 80 percent of grocery shoppers want access to electronic coupons, but the study found only 35 percent of US grocery retailers offer electronic coupons.

It will be interesting to see whether the fully presented survey will unveil how privacy issues may impact the retailer’s ability to deliver via multiple channels, including mobile devices, and how retailers are addressing them. Handling returns as well as available to promise (ATP) quantities in an omni-channel setup are the elephants in the room, but not many folks are yet ready to discuss these issues. This situation will likely change sooner rather than later, but perhaps not as soon as NRF 2013.