Dydacomp Shares Top Predictions for Small Business in 2013

Leading order management solution provider offers insight into SMB trends for the New Year.

PARSIPPANY, NJ, December 17, 2012 - Dydacomp, a leading provider of order management solutions for small and mid-sized eCommerce and multichannel merchants, today shared retail predictions from its Chief Executive Officer, Fred Lizza, for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) for 2013.

The key trends for retailers and merchants moving into 2013, according to Lizza, include:

1) Small Can be Mighty: Small businesses are at the heart of the U.S. economy and their influence will continue to grow in 2013. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 23 million small businesses in America account for 54 percent of all U.S. sales. In 2013, there will be a dramatic change in the amount of influence that small businesses will have on industry trends. Little to no growth in hiring at large organizations is driving more experienced people to start new small businesses. At the same time, small business owners have become much more tech-savvy, and with the power of technology at their fingertips, they can now reach consumers on a global level. This will ultimately give small businesses greater insight and ownership of the market.

2) Smarter Back-End Businesses: Retailers and merchants have recently invested heavily to build up their online store fronts, giving them multiple sales channels, greater market reach and increased growth. Now, tools like multichannel order management systems and business intelligence reporting and dashboards have become a necessity to help the small or mid-sized business manage and maintain this growth. They enable business owners to be savvier when it comes to managing their back office. This increased focus on back-end fulfillment systems will enable retailers and merchants to address issues earlier than ever, as well as see a unified view of their business across all channels. The trend toward the adoption of cloud-based solutions will provide small business owners with a wider variety of smart tools at an affordable price, offering anywhere, anytime access. Business owners will look for vendors with cloud-based solutions that will help them manage their entire back-end business – from real-time dashboards to dynamic reporting.

3) Continued Growth of the Connected Consumer: Gartner Research recently predicted that mobile devices will soon surpass PCs as the top device for accessing the internet. As smartphone and tablet adoption continue to rise at a rapid rate, consumers expect the retailers they buy from to keep up with their mobile needs.

In addition, a recent IDC study found that ‘showrooming,’ or comparison shopping on a mobile phone while shopping in store, will increase by 134 percent this holiday season compared to last year. With 20 percent of consumers planning to showroom, IDC predicts this will influence between $700 million and $1.7 billion in retail purchases.

In order to remain competitive, retailers will have to re-examine their loyalty programs and special offers, and ensure that they are prepared to compete not only on price but customer experience. In addition, business owners will need to have accurate insight into their current prices and inventory to manage change in real time.

“Over the last year, we’ve seen many changes in the retail landscape, including the proliferation of smartphones driving mobile commerce and the emergence of small businesses as global players,” said Lizza. “As these trends continue into 2013, merchants and retailers will need to evolve in order to remain competitive. By understanding today’s consumers and taking advantage of the latest technology, business owners have a huge opportunity for growth in the coming year.”

To find out more about how Dydacomp is driving SMBs, please visit www.dydacomp.com or follow us on Twitter @dydacomp.