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A master's thesis from Aalborg University
Book cover


The Impact of Digital Technologies on Innovations in Retail Business Models

Author

Term

4. term

Publication year

2013

Abstract

Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan digitale teknologier påvirker innovationer i detailhandelens forretningsmodeller i lyset af skiftende kundebehov og øget konkurrence. Med udgangspunkt i et kvalitativt, induktivt casestudie-setup baseret på litteratur og offentligt tilgængelige online kilder analyseres eksempler fra bl.a. Walmart, Tesco, Safeway, Target, Burberry, Gilt Groupe og andre. Specialet belyser overgangen fra multi-channel til omni-channel og diskuterer, hvordan teknologier som lokationsbaserede løsninger, målrettede og personaliserede mobile tilbud, mobile point-of-sale, mobile betalinger og digitale tegnebøger, personlige shoppingassistenter, elektroniske prismærker og RFID kan påvirke kundeadfærd og ændre butikkernes interne roller. Arbejdet adresserer spørgsmål om, hvorvidt forretningsmodelinnovation kan give varige konkurrencefordele, om nye teknologier kan muliggøre nye detailformater, og hvilke nøgleteknologier og trends der sandsynligvis vil præge den nære fremtid. Bidraget er en syntese af cases og teknologianvendelser, som giver detailchefer et overskueligt overblik over praktiske muligheder for at styrke forbindelsen til kunder på tværs af kanaler og dermed potentielt forbedre lønsomhed og konkurrenceevne; studiet anerkender samtidig begrænsninger ved hurtig teknologisk udvikling og brug af online kilder og peger på behov for videre forskning.

This thesis examines how digital technologies shape innovations in retail business models amid changing customer expectations and intensifying competition. Using a qualitative, inductive multiple-case approach grounded in literature and publicly available online sources, it analyzes examples from retailers such as Walmart, Tesco, Safeway, Target, Burberry, Gilt Groupe, and others. The study highlights the shift from multi-channel to omni-channel retailing and discusses how technologies—including location-based services, targeted and personalized mobile promotions, mobile point-of-sale, mobile payments and digital wallets, personal shopping assistants, electronic price tags, and RFID—may influence customer behavior and alter in-store roles. It addresses whether business model innovation can lead to sustained competitive advantage, whether emerging technologies can enable new retail formats, and which key technologies and trends are likely to shape near-term shopping experiences. The contribution is a synthesis of cases and technology applications that offers retail managers an accessible overview of practical avenues to strengthen customer connections across channels and potentially improve profitability and competitiveness, while acknowledging limitations related to rapid technological change and reliance on online sources and pointing to avenues for further research.

[This summary has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project (PDF)]