"In a world that's changing so quickly, the biggest risk you can take is not taking any risk."

-Mark Zuckerberg

Digital transformation is no longer a buzzword, it's happening today and in every industry. According to research from the Global Center for Digital Business Transformation, an IMD and Cisco initiative, 40 percent of the top industry incumbents will be displaced within 5 years.

To succeed in digital transformation, retailers need a digital ready network that is simple, intelligent, automated, and secure. With Cisco's Digital Network Architecture (DNA) for Retail, you can centrally manage your entire network -whether you are providing access to your shoppers, store associates, or corporate employees. Cisco DNA helps retailers innovate faster, reduce cost and complexity, optimize their business, and lower risk -all while improving customer experience and associate productivity.

Fast innovation with enhanced insights

Increasingly rapid changes in technology advancements continues to transform the retail landscape. Today's tech-savvy shoppers want the same digital tools and experience they have online, at the physical store. And, although ecommerce and mcommerce is growing significantly, customers still prefer to shop in physical stores. Ninety-two percent of groceries are purchased in store, followed by 77 percent of consumer packaged goods and 76 percent of clothing and apparel [Entrepreneur].

Because of this, gathering insights from an intelligent network has never been more critical and important to retailers looking to reinvent their business models to deliver frictionless shopping experiences. Having real-time analytics and insights about your customers' shopping preferences and purchase history empowers you and your employees to deliver the personalized experiences that your customers want.

Lower complexity and costs with automation

In a world where thousands of connected devices are trying to join your network, it's vital that retailers deliver a highly reliable, secure, and predictive network that is always on. With Cisco DNA for Retail, you can roll out and update your network faster for improved customer experience and reduced day-to-day operational and network management costs with automation, management, and application assurance. IT can now manage services via automation across hundreds of devices and sites, delivering a more dynamic network that provisions, expands, and reallocates services quickly across different platforms with no service calls. 

Reduce risks with security everywhere

As new digital interactions from shoppers and the business at large make it through the network, retailers are more vulnerable to cyberattacks and cyber criminals. In one attack in 2015, cyber criminals accessed the personal data of nearly 15 million individuals, including names, birthdates, Social Security numbers, addresses and more. And according to Cisco's2017 Cyber Security Annual Report, one in three retailers have suffered revenue losses as a result of a cyberattack.

To protect against these threats, retailers need to implement a more effective approach to security. This entails deploying a secure network to help you see more, protect better and respond faster to attacks. Having the right security strategy in place will help you accelerate your digital journey faster.

Cisco Digital Network Architecture (DNA) for Retail is the foundation technology that enables digital transformation of your stores and corporate offices.  There's never been a better time to digitally transform the shopping experience -now is the time for action!

Click here to assess your digital readiness today.