The NRF 2019 Big Show saw some of retail’s biggest
names, including Walmart, Target, Kroger and Alibaba,
offer a glimpse into what the future holds for the industry.
There was an emphasis on leading
with conviction, experiential
retail and bridging the personalization
gap that still remains between shoppers and retailers — all while hundreds
of exhibitors showcased solutions that they hope will push the industry even
further ahead.
The RTP editorial
team shared their own top takeaways of the event. For complete Big Show
coverage, visit the RTP NRF19 news hub.
Feel free to share your own takeaways in the comments below!
Debbie Hauss,
Editor-in-Chief: I’m expecting to see some real movement with practical
applications for AI, VR, AR and Mixed Reality this year in the retail industry.
The general vibe at #NRF19 was positive and many of the exhibitors I spoke with
said they had very productive conversations with retail decision-makers. The
retailers and solution providers that will succeed in 2019 will balance a focus
on the technology with the human element. Additionally, decisions to implement
new technology should be tied to a specific business goal; otherwise, the
efforts are likely to fail. I’m pleased to see that the industry is moving
forward with focusing on the customer as the center of business strategies.
With that in mind, smart retailers are dedicating efforts to empower store
associates/frontline brand advocates to better serve customers. With mobile
tech in hand, store employees can provide real-time product information to
shoppers without walking away. Brooks
Brothers, for example, has implemented the Mad Mobile Concierge App and was
awarded a Retail TouchPoints Customer
Engagement Award for its efforts.
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Adam Blair, Executive
Editor: As there is at every Big Show, there was lots and lots of
technology on display, like robots that patrol supermarket aisles checking
for spills. But if there was plenty of hard-headed logic to satisfy the Mr.
Spock in me, there also was enough emphasis on human connections and emotion to
make my inner Dr. McCoy happy. A session on sustainability talked about how environmentally
conscious activities by retailers can make customers feel better about their
purchases. The CEO of DICK’S Sporting Goods revealed how
his emotional reaction to the Parkland school shooting influenced the
retailer’s decision to stop selling guns. And several exhibitors talked about
the importance of creating more human connections, both with shoppers and their
own front-line employees — not as a “nice-to-have” but as an essential element
of their business strategy. I think there’s a growing recognition that human
connections are more important than ever in retail, particularly since so many
interactions and transactions are happening with screens and chatbots rather
than flesh-and-blood people.
Glenn Taylor, Senior
Editor: I chatted with Stuart Aldridge of Columbus Consulting during the
event, and he pointed out that 2019 will be a major inflection point for the
growth of AI — particularly whether the technology is truly going to ever live
up to the hype that constantly follows it. For one, Aldridge noted that while
“AI” is a major buzzword, many retailers often group it in with other
technologies that automate processes. This means that while many say they use AI, they don’t actually use the technology, potentially
skewing stats and facts about how much retailers can attribute AI’s role in
improving their business. Also, everyone always talks about what AI can do for a business, but Aldridge
posed a question that I don’t hear often enough, and don’t really think about: What if AI gets certain things wrong?
It’s easy to assume that every machine learning-powered technology will study
seasonal trends and adapt to them accordingly to improve inventory turnover,
but even if humans behind the tech collect and integrate every data point they
need into an algorithm, it’s not a foregone conclusion that the retailer will
get the exact result they need. In short, don’t take AI for granted simply
because of what it promises.
Bryan Wassel,
Associate Editor: My biggest takeaway from the Big Show is that
brick-and-mortar retailers may finally have a handle on how they can
differentiate themselves from e-Commerce sites: empowering their associates. Even the most sophisticated chatbot
offers a different experience than talking to another human, and in-store
associates can now use their own mobile phones to offer the same breadth of
personalization and expertise as a web site does, along with additional human
elements like small talk, humor and genuine friendliness. Empowering technology
isn’t just limited to helping shoppers with questions: smart screens now let
customers interface with associates to try on entire wardrobes from inside the
dressing rooms, and shelf-scanning drones will let workers spend more time on
customer service in general. As my colleague Adam noted, human connections are
now an essential element of the business strategy — one that can’t be
replicated or beaten online.
