Microsoft Makes In-Roads with the Retail Industry

The National Retail Federation kicked off retail’s BIG Show this week and Microsoft is happy to be a part of providing technology solutions announced at the event as retailers are vital to today’s economy supporting more than 41 million jobs in the United States alone.

With consumers having increased options for how and when they shop, staying competitive has meant retailers must truly put customers at the heart of their business, seeking new ways to create the most value, to drive loyalty. Retailers are using Office 365 to improve employee and collaboration across the business – from headquarters to the store floor – enabling them to share best practices, roll out promotions and launch new products. Last week we were pleased to announce that retail customers Helly Hansen, Tesco and jcpenney are the latest retail customers to join the Office 365 family.

As a whole, Microsoft is making in-roads with retail customers. At the event, Windows Embedded will feature intelligent systems for retail in the Microsoft booth, including a prototype end-to-end shopping scenario with The Home Depot. The business will also announce details pertaining to Windows Embedded 8 Handheld and the availability of the Windows Embedded 8 Industry release preview (RP).

Microsoft is also releasing the latest updates to its Microsoft Dynamics for Retail solution, which introduces new capabilities to help retailers deliver a complete shopping experience through end-to-end, search-based e-commerce; next-generation point of sale (POS); and a true omnichannel commerce engine. The team is also highlighting global customers such as Edwin Watts Golf, Marc Jacobs, Lotus F1 Team and Diane von Furstenberg that have chosen Microsoft Dynamics for Retail to take their businesses into the future.

Additionally, Microsoft announced a roundup of recent customer successes– including Amazon, eBay, Home Shopping Network, Carl’s Jr., BCBG, GAP and more - showcasing how Microsoft is enabling retailers to deliver the future of retail today by building customer engagement and loyalty, maximizing employee effectiveness and optimizing their operations across the enterprise.

In the booth, we are demonstrating new technologies with our partners to help retailers put customers at the center of their business and deliver the personalized, seamless and differentiated experiences that shoppers have come to expect.

 Check out this video from the show to see for yourself: Microsoft Showcases “The Future of Retail Today” at Retail’s BIG Show 2013 in NYC

 For more details, please visit our Microsoft NRF newsroom or Microsoft Retail Sector website.