Whitepapers and Articles
Welcome to Jesta I.S.’ whitepapers and articles section where you can find the information you need to make informed decisions.
Download a copy of our whitepapers on key industry topics including: E-commerce, Retail Value Chain, Chip & PIN Compliance, Customer Centric Retailing, Wholesale Value Chain, Multi-Channel Retailing, Cross-Channel Excellence.
Want to learn more about a topic? Send a note to: marketing@jestais.com
Consignment sales: Market Penetration VS Risk Mitigation
Brand manufacturers are marketing to retailers more frequently by offering goods on consignment. This practice is growing in the marketplace as retailers react to slowing demand and manufacturers compete for limited shelf space to promote their products. As a result, more and more retailers are asking their vendors to participate in consignment sales.
Brand manufacturers must closely examine the risks associated with the rewards gained from the sales and brand exposure. Although a cost saver for the retailer, it adds costs and complexity to the manufacturers’ supply chain. Register to learn about:
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There are a number of opportunities for growth in the retail sector, even as the economy suffers from reluctance to bounce back. Consumers have changed their buying behavior, and have adopted new technology that wasn't even a twinkle in the eye of retailers two years ago. Markets in different parts of the world are changing and behaving very differently than markets here at home. Mergers, acquisitions, and strategic alliances are becoming more common, and a volatile real-estate market has created real bargains out of some prime retail space.
This paper examines some of those opportunities, and in the process illustrates how an holistic approach to those opportunities can yield rewards that may be greater than the sum of the parts. Download now E-commerce-Should you sell direct?
More and more manufacturers are deciding to compete in the growing internet retailing space. Online sales are expected to grow to 12%, worth an estimated $211.7 billion of total retail sales, by 2012, while private label goods are rising to 20% of all retail sales. In order to maintain market share and grow profitable sales, the end consumer market is being targeted by the manufacturer. This approach brings challenges including marketing conflicts, process changes and technology strains.
Download now E-Commerce: More Than Just an e-Store
Many retailers today are looking to expand their presence by either opening an internet store, or expanding the products and services available on their existing web site. However, simply opening or expanding a web site may not be enough anymore. So, the big question facing retailers is “What are the challenges to overcome in a new cross-channel world?”
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Consignment, like layaway, is an old retail service that is seeing new life in these down economic times, a re-emerging option offered by wholesalers and manufacturers. Usually, retailers will expect a higher margin to suppliers who want the money for their goods up front. A lower margin is accepted from those vendors who are willing to wait until the products are actually sold. In either case, the retailer typically takes a greater portion of the profits, albeit not nearly as much as selling paid for items. The supplier has the advantage of placing goods on to store shelves, closer to the end user, thereby converting inventory to cash much sooner.
Download now » Layaway: Rediscovering a Customer Service
The adage "Everything old is new again" is getting a lot of use these days. From vinyl records to platform shoes, we are seeing things that were retired years ago come back to mainstream use... Layaway offers the consumer an opportunity to purchase an item that might otherwise be unattainable. For the retailer, this means the opportunity to attract customers who, without a layaway payment option, might not shop in your store. The challenge for both the consumer and retailer is the management of payments and outstanding balance on the layaway.
Download now » Channel Surfing: Getting from Multi-Channel Retailing to Cross-Channel Excellence
Consumers are busy and expect consistent policies and a high-level of service. The ability to buy anywhere, ship anywhere, and return anywhere, all wrapped with a consistent message and level of service is vital to a retailers' brand and cross-channel success. Once the organization is aligned for the multi-channel world, and real-time data is available, the next hurdle involves technology. This whitepaper outlines the current challenges of multi-channel retailing with the goal to help retailers successfully achieve cross-channel excellence.
Download now » Unlocking the Wholesale Value Chain
The drivers of today's global product sourcing challenges are flexibility, visibility, control, and diversification; as companies continue to source globally; to an ever consolidating manufacturing base. Although China and South Asia garner much of the attention, the Americas remain a key apparel sourcing region. Many companies are in fact multi-sourcing the same items from several suppliers to mitigate risk and react to trade restrictions and ever-rising transportation costs. The rising cost of transportation due to unprecedented oil prices has forced manufacturers to re-examine sourcing exclusively in Asia.
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We often hear the term "Customer Centric" in reference to retail systems, but what does this expression really mean? Study after study confirms that customers place more importance on their in-store experience (in particular, employee/customer interaction) than on product selection, price, and promotion. This paper looks at other aspects of the "customer experience" that can help gauge the true nature of being Customer Centric.
Download now » Unlocking the Retail Value Chain
The environment for today's specialty retailers is more challenging than ever. Not only must they compete with others in their sector for the same customer, but new formats and channels continue to appear. Supply chain efficiency has become another major battleground. Off shore sourcing is now the norm, and a longer supply chain reduces sourcing flexibility, increases the need for pre-emptive planning, and amplifies the risk (and ultimately the cost) of mistakes.
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Changes are coming that could negatively affect your bottom line. Effective October 2010, the liability for fraudulent use of a credit card shifts from the financial institution to the retailer. The good news is that there is a way to avoid having to assume that liability, but it requires changes at store level in terms of equipment, and procedure.
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