{"id":2891,"date":"2021-01-13T10:00:35","date_gmt":"2021-01-13T18:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/innovation\/blog\/ms-industry\/introducing-microsoft-cloud-for-retail\/"},"modified":"2021-01-13T10:00:35","modified_gmt":"2021-01-13T18:00:35","slug":"introducing-microsoft-cloud-for-retail","status":"publish","type":"ms-industry","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-cloud\/blog\/retail-and-consumer-goods\/2021\/01\/13\/introducing-microsoft-cloud-for-retail\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing Microsoft Cloud for Retail"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
If 2020 taught us anything<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0it was that no business is resilient to everything.<\/span>\u00a0But those that\u00a0<\/span>had laid their<\/span>\u00a0digital\u00a0<\/span>tracks <\/span>early were better positioned to<\/span>\u00a0recover<\/span>, and in some cases, even\u00a0<\/span>speed ahead<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In fact, one retail expert\u00a0<\/span>said that\u00a0<\/span>we<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>had\u00a0<\/span>\u201cwitnessed a 10-year evolutionary leap toward digital\u201d in retailing. That\u2019s quite a leap.\u00a0<\/span>And as a retail industry,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>we need to\u00a0<\/span>approach\u00a0<\/span>the new world we are living in with\u00a0<\/span>a digital-first mindset<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0At\u00a0<\/span>Microsoft we<\/span>\u00a0call this enabling intelligent\u00a0<\/span>retail\u2014<\/span>using\u00a0<\/span>digital solutions to help\u00a0<\/span>better\u00a0<\/span>know your custome<\/span>r<\/span>s,\u00a0<\/span>to empower your employees<\/span>\u00a0in new ways, deliver an agile\u00a0<\/span>and resilient\u00a0<\/span>supply chain to meet your customers where they are, and\u00a0<\/span>ultimately to help\u00a0<\/span>you\u00a0<\/span>reimagine\u00a0<\/span>the future of your\u00a0<\/span>retail\u00a0<\/span>business<\/span>. <\/span>Today at NRF 2021, we are introducing the private preview of Microsoft Cloud for Retail<\/a>.<\/p>\n Aligned to these\u00a0<\/span>areas of focus, here are<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>four\u00a0<\/span>trends\u00a0<\/span>Covid-<\/span>19\u00a0<\/span>accelerated<\/span>\u00a0in 2020,\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>we expect to see stick in 202<\/span>1<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As I write this, 40 petabytes of retail data will be generated. For perspective, if you recorded a one-petabyte song, you\u2019d need 2,000 years to listen to it. That data has enormous value, but because it is 90 percent unstructured it\u2019s challenging to separate signal from noise. Today we\u2019re helping retailers unlock the power\u00a0<\/span><\/span>of<\/span><\/span>\u00a0that data<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>That can range from predictive analytics that makes intelligent recommendations to customers, to connecting with shoppers within a store or web site, to attacking fraud and shrinkage.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>We believe your data is one o<\/span><\/span>f your most valuable assets\u2014like your inventory and your sto<\/span><\/span>res.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>And if under<\/span><\/span>stood and thought\u00a0<\/span><\/span>o<\/span><\/span>f<\/span><\/span>\u00a0strategically<\/span><\/span>\u00a0your data can<\/span><\/span> open entirely new businesses, revenue streams, and consumer differentiation.<\/span><\/span> For example, DICK\u2019S Sporting Goods recently partnered with Microsoft\u00a0<\/span><\/span>PromoteIQ<\/span><\/span>\u00a0so brands could increase visibility on DICK\u2019S website and engage with shoppers in a more meaningful and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>personalized\u00a0<\/span><\/span>way. In the first<\/span><\/span>\u00a0full<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>month<\/span><\/span>\u00a0live<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0they exceeded\u00a0<\/span><\/span>their<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>previous ad\u00a0<\/span><\/span>provider<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>revenue by over 30 percent year-over-year.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Strong partnerships can put wind in the sails of any retailer. One study I\u2019ve seen showed that such partnerships can add 10 to 15 percent to topline revenue performance by helping retailers meet customers where they are, regardless of retail channel. Partnerships also help retailers add value to existing customer relationships and can give retailers access to new skillsets. It\u2019s been a true privilege for us to partner with many of you on your digital journeys, from FedEx<\/a> who we\u2019re partnering with to transform the end-to-end commerce experience, to retailers like Musgrave<\/a> and Woolworths Australia<\/a> who introduced a new scan-and-go concept to meet consumer demand for contactless experiences when stores reopened\u2014it\u2019s been an incredible journey.<\/p>\n Take\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Columbia <\/span><\/span>Sport<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>wear<\/span><\/span><\/a> who has been able to quickly <\/span><\/span>pivot\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in-store purchasing experiences with Dynamics 365 <\/span><\/span>Commerce<\/span><\/span>\u00a0to deliver safe and secure buying experiences for both their customers and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>store agents<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>. Today<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0we<\/span><\/span>\u2019re<\/span><\/span> announcing <\/span><\/span>B2B e-Commerce\u00a0<\/span><\/span>capabilities<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>for Dynamics<\/span><\/span>\u00a0365 Commerce<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Building on top of<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>our<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>rich<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and intelligent<\/span><\/span>\u00a0B2C\u00a0<\/span><\/span>capabilities<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>retailers will be able to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>deliver\u00a0<\/span><\/span>streamlined and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>intuitive<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>purchasing experiences\u00a0<\/span><\/span>for both consumer\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>business partners<\/span><\/span> on a single <\/span><\/span>connected\u00a0<\/span><\/span>platform<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Look left to right in this industry and retailers of all shapes and sizes in so many countries across the globe are partnering with Microsoft<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Interest in shopping for brands that are committed to sustainability has moved from the fringe to a key customer motivator. Some 67 percent of customers, according to one survey, consider sustainability practices when making purchases. This was a growing trend pre-pandemic, and at last year\u2019s NRF I noted that 85 percent of textiles (t-shirts and the like) wind up in landfills. We\u2019re seeing major retailers step up to help solve that. Walmart has committed to achieving zero emissions by 2040. H&M aims to get materials that are sustainably sourced or recycled by 2030. Here at Microsoft, we\u2019re working to go carbon Trend #1: Data explosion and monetization<\/h3>\n
Trend #2: Partnerships and ecosystems will help us win together<\/h3>\n
Trend #3: Sustainability and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>e<\/span><\/span>-c<\/span><\/span><\/span>ommerce<\/span><\/span>\u00a0is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>still top of mind for consumers and brands<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n