Digitalization of management systems in retail industry: Russia in the context of global transformation

Abstract

Digitalization today is one of the most relevant trends on Russian and world retail market that has repeatedly proven its efficiency not only in communications with consumers and store-level operations but also in organizational management. The purpose of the study is to conduct a comparative research of Russian and foreign practice of integrating digital technologies in management systems. The analysis has been based on author’s own model – “technology – management area” matrix – developed through a review of normative and scientific literature. It also has been carried out for ten largest retailers in Russia and ten ones in the world. As a result of the study, key current areas of management systems’ digitalization have been identified for both Russian and foreign retailers. Those areas between the ones, in which Russian companies have already reached global benchmarks, and the ones, in which Russian retail still retains potential for future development, have been distinguished. Recommendations for management systems’ digitalization in retail industry formulated by the author following the results of the analysis can be successfully used not only in research and methodological purposes but also in real-life business practice to increase efficiency of the process concerned.