Digital devices are making our lives easier by the day, almost to the point that we don’t even notice it anymore. Think about it: when you can’t remember your way around a city, GPS navigation is everywhere; when you want to take a note and learn more about an object, Amazon’s Price Check is available at the push of a button to do it for you. The list goes on and on.

The advancements are making retailers scramble to play catch up as consumer expectations grow. The question is quickly becoming how to plan and prioritize digital investments in this ever-changing and complex new world. By engaging all of the stakeholders — designers, managers, planners and leaders throughout the company — retailers are taking control of the experience as they tie the digital to the analog world. Eliciting an increased level of brand loyalty by constructing a seamless integration within a multi-channel environment isn’t our future; it’s our current reality.

In September of 2012, a study released by research and advisory firm the e-tailing group, concluded that 54% of U.S. consumers who regularly shop on the web, research products online before making a purchase, whether they buy in a store, on the web, via a mobile device, or through a catalog call center.

With Google Catalogs and Facebook Gifts, it’s evident the e-Commerce industry is receiving an influx of industry leaders vying for a spot.  It’s clear that a more dynamic, informative and interactive shopping experience is required long before the shopper walks through the retailer’s front door.  Additionally, today’s mobile shopper is not just looking at your offering…once they find something they like; their ability to find the best price is only a few touches away.

Mid-size businesses are powerful, often underappreciated drivers of the U.S. economy. Defined as companies with annual revenues between $10MM and $1B, mid-size businesses account for one-third of private sector Gross Domestic Product and employ about 43 million people in the U.S.

It’s also a sector that might be finally turning a corner, according to a recent survey of industry executives, including leaders at mid-sized retailers. The National Center for the Middle Market (NCMM), a partnership between The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business and GE Capital that tracks more than 1,000 Chief Executive Officers and Chief Financial Officers in private and public businesses, found that revenue growth among middle market companies began to pick up by the end of 2012. Mid-sized businesses showed average revenue growth of 7% during the past year, and retailers project revenue increases of 5.2% in the next 12 months, outpacing their peers in all other surveyed industries.

The growing ubiquity of mobile devices is changing the face of business transactions around the world. Merchants are no longer forced to invest in large, expensive countertop machines in order to accept payments beyond cash. And those who have already invested in POS systems are no longer tied to their countertops. Mobile is leveling the playing field for merchants in countries all over the world, making it possible for businesses large and small, brick-and-mortar or on the go, to accept payments anywhere in any form. New technologies are also forging a strong connection between mobile, web and countertop payment systems, creating value for customers and merchants alike throughout all aspects of the consumer-business relationship. All of this will inevitably have a huge impact on the global economy.

In fact, last year’s March cover story dove into the size of this opportunity. Though there were already 8 million merchants accepting cards in 2012, reporter Marc Abbey pointed out there are also more than 21 million businesses in the U.S. with just one employee. Many of these qualify as "micro-mobile merchants," meaning their businesses are small and lack a fixed location. Farmers selling their goods at market, crafters hawking their wares at fairs and food trucks vending sandwiches from their vehicles all fall into this category.