Canadian Retailer - Summer 2013 - 14

RCC: GOLDEN ANNIvERSARY

to help celebrate retail council of canada’s 50th anniversary, canadian retailer presents a six-part series that takes a look back at the ways the industry has evolved over the
past half-century. through the lens of advertising and marketing, supply chain logistics, and
more, we examine the historical points of evolution as well as identifying what the future
might have in store for the industry. part three of the series provides a snapshot of the findings available in the special retail council of canada 50th anniversary report.

the current and future
state of retail

Report captures the happenings and trends that have impacted
Canadian retail and the innovations that will continue to shape the
industry for years to come
TO hELp CELEBRATE Retail Council of Canada’s (RCC)
50th anniversary and the strength, innovation and creativity
within the industry, KPMG collaborated with the association
to develop Celebrating Retail Council of Canada: 50 Years of
Evolution and Going Strong.
The commemorative report provides a snapshot of Canadian retail history, from the earliest trading posts of the Hudson’s Bay Company to the latest technologies impacting the
current state of retail, focussing on the past 50 years since the
inception of RCC in 1963.
An illustrated split timeline within the report takes readers through the landmark happenings for both industry and
association, followed by an in-depth look at the evolution of
technology and the ways retailers are leveraging innovation
to stay ahead of the curve.
The report also analyzes the current state of retail and the
trends affecting retailers across the country before proffering
the future state of retail and the areas retailers will need to
concentrate on to engage tomorrow’s consumer with their
brand, stores and websites.
In addition, tomorrow’s top ten trends are predicted, including the proliferation of a mobile and cashless society, to the
notion of temporary ownership.
To help support the research that went in to developing the
report, and to help gain a more accurate view of the issues and
trends affecting retailers, RCC surveyed its members about
the current and future state of the industry.
When asked about shifting customer behaviours and attitudes, most respondents cited a frugal mindset with respect to
budgets; increasing difficulty in capturing customer loyalty;
rising customer expectations; and the customer’s pre-shopping and online research habits as having the greatest impact
on their stores today.
When asked how they were going to address shifting customer behaviour, the majority (51%) responded by saying that
they plan to implement store associate training specifically
focused on improving customer engagement.
49 per cent of survey respondents cited merchandise sourc-

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canadian retailer | summer 2013 | www.retailcouncil.org/cdnretailer

ing, cost of goods, and/or supply chain efficiency as the biggest challenge faced by their
organization. Other top responses included
differentiating the brand image and customer
experience from that of competitors, losing
sales to online competitors and keeping up
with IT investment needs.
Respondents also said that their organization plans to face these challenges in 2013 by
implementing changes to improve customer
loyalty, improving what they know about their
customers, focusing on reducing operating
costs, and investing in growing online sales
and marketing.
For more information about the Celebrating
Retail Council of Canada: 50 Years of Evolution
and Going Strong, visit www.retailcouncil.org.
http://www.retailcouncil.org http://www.retailcouncil.org/cdnretailer
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Retailer - Summer 2013
