Retailers' "Digital Divide"

According to a research study, mobile shopping from a smart phone "is more frustrating than sitting in traffic or visiting the D.M.V." Get this: Some 85% of the shoppers interviewed expect the shopping experience on their phones to be as good or better than on a computer!

Wow! That's quite a high standard!

The pressure for retailers is relentless: build e-commerce websites optimized for the small screen. And while you're at it, create shopping apps. It is an arms race that just keeps escalating.

Happily, a fast pace and rapid changes are not new to retailers. (In fact, that's what attracted many of you to retailing in the first place!)

As you take on these challenges of integrating new technology into your operation, remember to take advantage of "in the cloud" services. These let you experiment without a major investment in hardware/software.

Just remember: "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good." It's better to be in the game than on the sidelines.