The competition in the retail industry is enormous: Whether in terms of payment services, store design or devices for product search – merchants top each other continuously by using the latest innovations in their shops to make the customer experience as smooth as possible.

In addition, pure brick and mortar stores more and more get under pressure due to the fast growing e-commerce throughout Europe. Thereby, the Polish e-commerce is expanding most – in 2012 online sales increased by almost 30%, according to the Center of Retail Research.

Those who want to bind shoppers in the long run and sustainably generate high revenues have to convince customers comprehensively. On the 20th and 21st of November, visitors of the Retail Show Warsaw 2013 experienced how that works. 4 thematic zones were in the focus of the 4th edition of Poland’s largest B2B-event for the retail industry: Store Design, Equipment and Services, eCommerce and Retail Technology.

More than 100 exhibitioners – among them suppliers for shop furniture, providers of financial services, technology companies and more – showed their innovations, solutions and services to the round 4000 visitors – in large part representatives from the retail industry.

At the FACT-Finder booth, we met many owners and managers of supermarkets, hypermarkets and retail chains. In order to win important online market shares, many pure brick and mortar merchants want to open up online-shops and connect them with the local stores and other sales channels to appeal customers with a real cross channel offer.

Giving customers buying incentives wherever and whenever they are shopping. At the FACT-Finder booth, we explained how that works.

Giving customers buying incentives wherever and whenever they are shopping. At the FACT-Finder booth, we explained how that works.

Stores, e-shop, mobile and social – we gladly explained our visitors how FACT-Finder manages to combine all sales channels within one solution providing relevant product data like prices, customer reviews and availabilities at all customer touch points. Our dialogue partners were very interested in giving customers buying incentives wherever and whenever they are shopping.

The Retail Show was accompanied with conferences, meetings, workshops and presentations. Also there, we had interesting talks and made new contacts. Justyna Skorupska, Managing Director FACT-Finder Poland, hold a lecture about omni channel commerce explaining amongst other how retailers can realize a cross channel strategy and connect sales channels synergistically instead of running them parallel.