TRENDING
TRENDING
“ Our mission is to guide and consult retailers which system , software or service solutions facilitate new consumer journeys and make their stores more relevant for shoppers .”
on solutions which have a proven track record and a level of reference stability , he shared . There is a need for proof points of perfection and quality , before retailers outside Asia are ready to deploy a brandnew solution throughout the enterprise . So , it is a completely different approach that makes Asian retailers early adopters of in-store technology .”
Brewer went on to say vendors have to be thoughtful and clear about the markets that they can serve to achieve a win-win situation with clients . “ We do carefully evaluate our solutions portfolio to always stay on top of technology , and at the same time provide a balanced economic return for both business partners ,” he explained .
As some Asian markets are increasingly headed towards a cashless system , Brewer acknowledged that countries in the region are adopting mobile payments at different rates and for different reasons , and he assured that Diebold Nixdorf has the assets to implement and process cashless transactions “ as-a-service ”.
“ Exciting for us is that all kinds of cashless transactions are part of a broader digital consumer experience . So , if we can link payment with loyalty schemes and enable efficient up- and cross-selling , the level of customer engagement raises immediately and drives the stickiness for that particular retailer ,” he commented .
The enthusiasm around retail in Asia is unlike the rest of the world , in his opinion , and there is also an eagerness to have a proper customer relationship . While online retail is growing , there is a parallel need for human service and assistance in bricksand-mortar stores , which is never going to disappear , he added . “ Shoppers like to be in an environment where they can touch , feel , and taste the merchandise before buying . So it is not a surprise that physical stores are still having a strong position and will remain equally important in future .”
Push for in-store technology
For retailers that are looking to invest further in technology , Brewer ’ s advice is to have a grounded business and digital
Mark S . Brewer : ‘ Retail is in my core ’
PRIOR to joining Diebold Nixdorf , Mark S . Brewer served as global vice president , Enterprise and Cloud Applications at DXC Technology .
Before that , he spent many years in leadership roles at IBM , including being group general manager , Global Technology Services , for IBM Australia ; vice president , North America retail , consumer packaged goods , travel and transportation industries ; managing director Retail Industries , North America ; and various solution and sales leadership roles in IBM Europe .
While overseeing IBM ’ s retail industry business , Brewer received many accolades strategy , as well as thorough understanding of consumer journeys . “ The foundation of success is that retailers understand the benefits of technology and how it translates into business results .
“ To a certain extent , organisations are struggling to decide what technology they should invest in next , because they are not sure what the benefits would be . Ultimately , for companies like ours , our mission is to guide and consult retailers which system , software or service solutions facilitate new consumer journeys and make their stores more relevant for shoppers . This enables sustainable success .”
Looking towards the future , Brewer said it is important for retailers to have a business model and an agile and scalable IT platform that allows flexible responses to market conditions .
“ As retailers develop their business plans for the coming years , they need to be proactive and anticipate the changes in their eco-system . Companies that are always agile and aspire to be one step ahead of their competitors , are hedging successfully against disruptors that send traditional businesses into a tailspin .”
With reference to his long experience in the retail IT business , Brewer concluded : “ Who would have thought that radiofrequency identification ( RFID ) would be close to affordable in 10 years ? Who would have thought that Amazon would actually ever own their open stores ? Who would have thought that China would be almost cashless as a society ?
“ What all of these changes are telling us is that we never know what the next disruption or disruptor will be — but we can be sure that changes in the retail industry will never be this slow again .” ra
for delivering year-on-year revenue growth for a revenue portfolio of about US $ 4 billion , as well as positive outcomes in gaining new business , fostering strategic relationships and building effective operations .
“ Retail is in my core and I really enjoy large teams working on global complex problems ,” he smiled .
Brewer is based at the company ’ s headquarters facility in North Canton , Ohio , USA . He is a native of the UK and currently resides in Northern Virginia . He holds a bachelor ’ s degree , with honours , in Systems Design and Mathematics from the University West of England , Bristol , UK . ra
14 Retail Asia June / July 2018