The implications of electronic point-of-sale technology on the marketing/operations interface in UK retailing

It has become an analytical cliche to refer to the increasing pace and complexity of twentieth century change and to the subsequent turbulence in the operating environment. Nonetheless, in many major business sectors, change (particularly technological change) is the major issue confronting management. This is nowhere better exemplified than in the UK retail sector where the rapid diffusion of Electronic Point of Sale technology (EPOS) is already producing important impacts not only for retailers themselves but for the whole of the supply chain. This article considers the EPOS development in the context of the wider evolution of the UK retail market and examines its possible impacts on the operations management/marketing interface.