CONTENTSFOREWORDINSIDE RETAIL VIEWPOINTHIGHLIGHTSSURVEY SCOPEECOMMERCE AND MARKETPLACESSETTING UP FOR DIGITAL SUCCESSBARRIERS TO INNOVATION
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DIGITAL MATURITY OF ASIAN RETAILERS
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THE FUTURE STATE OF DIGITAL2018 ASIA DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION REPORT
clear is how retailers in Asia are
responding to these challenges. In a
joint research study between
Tofugear and Inside Retail, we’ve
asked 150 retail executives across the
region how their businesses are set
up for innovation and how far they
are in their digital transformation
journeys.
If there is a common thread running
throughout this report it is an
awareness that action is needed now.
An overwhelming majority of
retailers agrees that investment in
digital initiatives is critical if they are
to reimagine the customer experience
for today’s switched-on consumer.
However, getting to where they need
to be is a whole other question.
Respondents to our survey say that
innovation is hampered by a focus on
short-term return-on-investment and
a resistance to change. Meanwhile,
larger retailers cite a lack of cross-
departmental co-operation as a
barrier to getting digital projects off
the ground.
It is also striking to see that nearly
three-quarters of all retailers do not
consider their organisations to be
fag-bearers for digital
transformation. It may not only be a
case of investing in new systems and
technologies though – retailers might
also want to look at the way in which
they manage innovation. There is a
case to be made for the introduction
of new digital roles that operate
horizontally across the organisation,
aligning all departments to the
strategy.
We intend for this study to be done
on an annual basis as a state of the
industry for digital transformation
and are looking forward to seeing
how retailers in Asia continue to
evolve their approaches in a fast-
changing consumer landscape.
We would like to extend a thank you
to all retailers that participated in our
survey and those that helped put our
fndings into context by sharing their
insights. Without your help, this
report would not have been possible.
These are testing times for the retail
industry. The balance of power has
shifted from retailers to the
connected consumer, who gets to
decide how, when and where they
want to engage with your brand.
Meanwhile, disruptive retailers like
Amazon and Alibaba are continuing
to set new standards: raising
customer expectations not just for
themselves but for everyone in the
sector.
The need for innovation could not be
more pressing. However, what’s less
FOREWORD
PHILIP WIGGENRAAD
HEAD OF RESEARCH
TOFUGEAR
“The need for innovation could not be
more pressing.”。