An Innovative Multi-Channel Platform for Digital Applications in the Retail Sector

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The retail sector contributes over £300 billion per year to the UK economy and employsapproximately 10% of the total number of people employed in all industries and services inthe UK. Digital innovation is having a significant impact on the physical retail environment.Technology is driving change in our shopping styles even faster with smartphones and tablets.Online and mobile channels will be key to future growth, with more and more retailers nowintroducing digital applications to reach out to their customers.Despite this, the integration of multiple channels remains an issue (IMRG 2012). Currenttechnology systems remain the biggest barrier for retailers to achieve their multichannelvision and therefore multichannel system replacement is still a key investment priority for themajority of retailers in 2013.Building on existing relationships within the retail sector, Mason Digital Limited look todevelop an innovative multi-channel platform that can run & connect in-store, mobile & socialapplications in a far more speedy & cost effective manner than currently possible. The teamwill develop a highly configurable software platform on which to link existing clients’technologies with a number of multi-channel applications. In addition to this, a range ofprototype applications will be developed in order to trial the platform with end users. Theseapplications, including in-store interactive tablets & digital changing room assistants, will runout of the box but be highly configurable to create bespoke applications with the minimum ofeffort.This will be a strategic requirement of the small to mid sized retailers who have most need forthese new digital systems, these are currently out or reach for this segment due to their lack ofinfrastructure and the cost of implementation. If successful, the prototype platform with anumber of demonstration applications will be used to stimulate market interest with marketentry 6 months from project end.