IBM defines the ecosystem of in-store merchandising and its information dependencies as the Retail Integration Framework (RIF). The RIF ecosystem supports an increasing number of intelligent devices that are the customer touch points for the retailer. Impulselogic solutions apply headquarters and store intelligence to New In-Store Media to deliver an additional 2% of sales to profit when applied to supermarkets.

Passive communications, such as printed signs and shelf tags can be influential, but require information that is rarely available. So how to create customer-centric merchandising that can make a difference to buying behavior? The answer requires in-store communications mechanisms that interact with the customers during the shopping visit; making the communications relevant to the individual customer. Simple to define, but execution requires new in-store devices along with an ability to manage a vast, and ever increasing, array of information assets. In truth, the overriding vastness of information to be managed is impeding effective merchandising.

For RIF to be effective, it must be able to present relevant, personalized, customer-centric merchandising communications and interactions with customers while they shop. IBM defines this information management component as “Business Integration”, which must coordinate the customer messaging to create consistency across all in-store devices. Click here to find out more

An integrated MIQ and SIQ deployment is support of an store wide electronic New In-Store Media deployment, where printed signs and shelf tags are eliminated entirely, can be delivered with an ROI of < 6 months.

MerchandiseIQ (MIQ) is applied as the RIF Business Integration that manages information assets using an ETL/MDM “type” capability to concurrently interact with multiple, disparate applications, data sources, and data models. MIQ provides real-time access, extraction, transformation and delivery of “relevant-to-purpose” intelligence in support of more effective merchandising, marketing and operational processes that drive major financial impacts. Click here to find out more

ShopIQ (SIQ) is the optimum design, development and deployment tool for electronic shelf tags and print production of in-store signs and shelf tags. SIQ can create templates, formats and content definitions for both print and electronic output. Click here to find out more