发达国家的消费支出稳定，中国、印度和巴西等新兴市场的消费支出正在上升。

In many countries, retail represents around 10 percent of a consumer’s income.  That spending occurs in supermarkets, hypermarkets, department stores, malls, exclusive brand outlets, and online portals.

品牌、占据优势的本地企业和大型跨国公司之间的激烈竞争使得在这个富有弹性且利润丰厚的行业中取得成功极具挑战性。要取得成功，不仅需要在特定目标消费者中占据强大的地位，还需要自觉遵循最佳实践。

能够带来增长的零售行业最佳实践如下：

1）有效的品牌管理

Given the horde of retailers vying for the attention of consumers, establishing a unique personality for a business is the best way of distinguishing it from competitors. Having a brand that favorably stands out is already half the battle won.

One way for retailers to send messages that resonate with customers is to convey their corporate philosophy in ways that are easily understood by consumers. Messaging, storytelling, branding, corporate culture and values have the potential to define a brand and distinguish it from others.

2）致力于社区发展和可持续发展

Given the clear preference of advanced markets for brands and companies that consistently adopt sustainable practices, the list of tomorrow’s leading retailers will be composed only of businesses with demonstrated commitment to environmental protection. Any business that carries a tinge of environmental neglect will be punished by a consumer base that is increasingly becoming aware of (or are already suffering from) its negative impact.

Corporate social responsibility, Community Development and Human Resources can help Retail 公司 achieve these objectives. The type of foundations, charities, or advocacies that a company proactively supports help form the company’s profile among its customers. Businesses should focus on those that share a strong affinity with their core values. Employees have the opportunity to be trained, nurtured and deployed not only to perform their designated tasks but also to visibly exemplify the company’s core values.

3）全面的安全和网络安全

It is not uncommon for physical retail outlets to encounter walk-ins who just intend to steal, vandalize, or harm facilities, staff, and other customers. Where appropriate for example monitoring systems could be deployed. In addition, the incidence of digital- or internet-related crimes are increasing and having a reliable Cybersecurity to wall out hackers is extremely important. Already, some of the largest hackings and massive consumer identity breaches have focused on Retail companies and their Credit Card products.

4）多渠道策略

Today’s 零售 landscape is rapidly evolving with the adoption of new technologies, processes, and approaches. Retail companies are focused on Omnichannel and aligning messaging across Stores, Mobile Technology, Apps and Social Media.  To remain meaningful and relevant, retailers deploy their unified messaging not only in traditional channels, but also in social media channels and the mobile environment.