Things are looking up for the global economy. Both the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the United Nations anticipate that the next few years will bring growth. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers' (PwC​) 17th Annual Global CEO Survey, business leaders are optimistic about the coming year and plan to use retail technology to help bolster a period of expansion.

The survey found that despite worries about over-regulation and deficits, CEOs are more optimistic about the global economy and their business prospects than they were last year. This means that they can turn their attention toward growth and gaining a competitive edge, instead of fortifying a survival strategy.

Business leaders expect the U.S., German, U.K., and emerging markets to provide the greatest opportunities, the report said, rather than BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) which were a focus in previous years. Their strategy for making the most of more positive economic conditions has a strong technological component – 81 percent of CEOs believe that technological advancements will play a strong role in their future success, Business Today indicated.

Business Standard reported that, according to a recent Tata Consultancy Services study, CIOs want to capitalize on the positive economic conditions with multichannel integration, ecommerce software and retail business intelligence. The source said that CIOs are planning to implement mobile strategies including payment and POS services.