In an economic climate as difficult as the current one — and with 2010 likely to be challenging as well — food retailers are leaning on new and traditional technology applications for direction, insight and control. But which applications do retailers really need in order to navigate in this environment? Which fall into the “can't-do-without, must-have” category?

In considering the plethora of systems available to retailers, SN identified five that stand out during these hard times: labor management, price optimization, customer relationship management, business intelligence and loss prevention. The following profiles make the case for why these five are the essential applications that will help food retailers manage their business against the tide.

It should be added that these are endorsements of applications, not of particular vendors, including those mentioned in the profiles.

Related articles

• Labor Management: ‘Corporate A’ Initiative
• Loyalty Systems: Fuel for Thought
• Price Optimization: Uncovering Hidden Trends
• Business Intelligence: Understanding Data
• Loss Prevention: Fixing Operations