Let me sum up by noting a key difference between what I heard from Mr. Bout and saw from Mr. Flathers regarding Groupe Casino's effort with SAP and what Messrs. Caron and Carney showed me at Stop & Shop. The former presented the broad sweep of a multi-year transformational program and addressed the enterprise-level systems overhaul required to change the frontend of a customer's interaction with the French retailer. The latter focused on the frontend device and attendant services that deliver a new customer experience.

The two stories aren't comparable in scope and focus. But together they comprise a compelling and informative picture of where the frontier of the food retailer's interaction with the shopper stands today and where it is going...and going there in a hurry.