The dominant role of Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) practices in the retail industry today has created a strong need for collaboration between business and research communities for the development of robust theoretical frameworks and intelligent technological solutions towards providing direct managerial implications to the retail industry players. To this end, this book aims to highlight the emerging trends, challenges and opportunities in the retail industry, under the perspective of the changing consumer and business behavioural patterns, the reconfiguration of intra- and inter-organizational relationships and the evolving technological capabilities. Elaborating on the core ECR concepts, the book emphasizes the role of consumer behaviour research as the driving force for the configuration of the retail value chain processes. Along these lines, the application of the latest technological inventions to enthuse consumers through accurate targeting along with the identification of the potential of the new technologies, processes and strategies for transforming the supply chain constitute the main pillars of the book. Specifically, the book focuses on the emerging techniques and technologies for supply chain management and collaboration as well as on the emerging relationships and the electronic transformations governing multichannel retailing. It aims at supporting retailers, consumer goods manufacturers and third parties applying the latest technological inventions to transform the value chain. It also attempts to guide practitioners to effectively proceed in employing new technologies to ignite consumer enthusiasm. Similarly, the objective of this book is to help companies targetmore accurately consumer and shopper wishes with focused investments, in shorter time, and with more success. Finally, the book underlines the great potentials for new technologies and processes from a supply and demand side perspective.

The book focuses on the emerging techniques and technologies for supply chain management and collaboration as well as on the emerging relationships and the electronic transformations governing multichannel retailing. It aims at supporting retailers, consumer goods manufacturers and third parties applying the latest technological inventions to transform the value chain. It also attempts to guide practitioners to effectively proceed in employing new technologies to ignite consumer enthusiasm. Similarly, the objective of this book is to help companies target more accurately consumer and shopper wishes with focused investments, in shorter time, and with more success.