Some of the most impressive work undertaken by multichannel retailers over the past 12 months has been in the once unglamorous arena of the supply chain.

Some of the most impressive work undertaken by multichannel retailers over the past 12 months has been in the once unglamorous arena of the supply chain. It might not be a shiny in-store kiosk or a slick mobile app, but this infrastructure work is possibly the most crucial aspect of many retailers’ multichannel offers.

We look at what retailers have been doing in this area, and the potentially revolutionising effect it can have. It makes perfect sense - if store orders can be fulfilled online and online orders can be fulfilled by stores, the number of out-of-stocks can fall dramatically. That means less discounting, high sales and, crucially, happy customers. Now that so much of retailers’ future success is dependent on cross-channel sales, such work is more important than ever.

But it’s difficult to avoid mentioning the slick consumer-facing gadgets, of course - making your business stand out has never relied more on technology. We outline the most useful technologies that can help retailers engage with shoppers, and which help to improve the shopping experience.

And, we look at the growing trend of staff using their own mobiles on the shopfloor. It might not be new for staff to bring in their own technology to work, but using their own devices on the shopfloor is. Previously, security concerns trumped the potential benefits, but now big names such as Marks & Spencer and Tesco are allowing staff to access some work systems on their mobile devices. This could be a game changer in a multichannel environment, and for some retailers it is perhaps the only way to plug the information gap opening up between consumers armed with smartphones and device-free store staff.

As ever, there’s lots to discuss in the world of retail technology. Shopping habits are overtaking the pace at which retailers can evolve, so there’s plenty of work to be done.