With new security threats and hacking technologies emerging at the same time the amount of personal data held online is growing, according to ResearchFarm's 'Omnichannel 2014: In-store Technology, Logistics, Retail as a Platform' report. It advises companies operating in the industry to build a sufficiently robust infrastructure to protect them and their customers from cyber-threats.

Establishing the relevant security, the report says, is just one component of rolling out the ideal omnichannel strategy – a challenge that ResearchFarm defines as the most disruptive period since Amazon and e-commerce appeared on the scene in the late 1990s.

Retail analyst and co-author of the report, Edward Bickel, said: "A useful starting point is to think of three S's: system, skills and structure.

"Ensure an effective IT system that not only captures customer data accurately but also mitigates the growing online threats. This requires employing the best technical people out there who have the skills to extract actionable insights from the data. Support this foundation with a well-defined yet flexible logistics structure that meets customers' exacting standards."

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