Mentions of digitalization within the filings of companies in the retail sector were 92% higher between July 2021 and June 2022 than in 2016, according to the latest analysis of data from GlobalData.
Go deeper with GlobalData
When retail companies publish annual and quarterly reports, ESG reports and other filings, GlobalData analyses the text and identifies individual sentences that relate to disruptive forces facing companies in the coming years. Digitalization is one of these topics - companies that excel and invest in these areas are thought to be better prepared for the future business landscape and better equipped to survive unforeseen challenges.
To assess whether digitalization is featuring more in the summaries and strategies of retail companies, two measures were calculated. Firstly, we looked at the percentage of companies which have mentioned digitalization at least once in filings during the past twelve months - this was 92% compared to 77% in 2016. Secondly, we calculated the percentage of total analysed sentences that referred to digitalization.
Of the 10 biggest employers in the retail sector, Walmart was the company which referred to digitalization the most between July 2021 and June 2022. GlobalData identified 249 digitalization-related sentences in the United States-based company's filings - 2.9% of all sentences. Carrefour mentioned digitalization the second most - the issue was referred to in 2% of sentences in the company's filings. Other top employers with high digitalization mentions included Ahold Delhaize, Amazon and JD.
Across all retail companies the filing published in the second quarter of 2022 which exhibited the greatest focus on digitalization came from Falabella. Of the document's 3,608 sentences, 269 (7.5%) referred to digitalization.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataThis analysis provides an approximate indication of which companies are focusing on digitalization and how important the issue is considered within the retail sector, but it also has limitations and should be interpreted carefully. For example, a company mentioning digitalization more regularly is not necessarily proof that they are utilising new techniques or prioritising the issue, nor does it indicate whether the company's ventures into digitalization have been successes or failures.
In the last quarter, retail companies based in South America were most likely to mention digitalization with 3.04% of sentences in company filings referring to the issue. In contrast, companies with their headquarters in Asia mentioned digitalization in just 0.9% of sentences.
