Vision of the future – with a difference?

I listened enthusiastically to an account by Zsuzsa Hermann, editor in chief of this magazine, of the successful POPAI Hungary event, held at the end of October. A vision of the future. Development. At last! I have not intention to argue with the forecasts presented by acknowledged international experts. I do however, have some doubts as to how the foreseen changes will effect suppliers. More sophisticated store interiors will probably accelerate the process we call the segmentation of retail trade. Of course, the question whether this phenomenon is positive or not can be the subject of debate. It is time to see what suppliers think about the new developments. The basic question: who is going to pay the bill? Ideally, consumers should have the last say by expressing their preferences through accepting higher prices in more attractive stores. Knowing retailers however, I believe it is highly likely that manufacturers will also be asked to bear part of the costs. ATL/BTL expenditure ratios will also change, with POS communication receiving more attention than before. The next question which comes to my mind is: what will be the task of “sales organisations”? How will diverse distribution characteristics and sales channels effect or determine priorities for sales organisations? In the present situation, suppliers can become distinctive compared to others, if their employees are allowed to act as a sort of “advisors” for clients and partners. It is impossible to tell yet which approach will prove to be the best, but one thing is certain: our tasks will be quite different in the future from what they are today.