The start of a new decade is traditionally a time for long-range predictions: Will smart devices shrink even further, to the size of wearables or implanted chips? Will stores still be relevant, and more important, how will they be relevant, in 2025 or 2030? Will Amazon flourish or falter during the coming decade?
The 15 distinguished contributors to the 2020 Retail TouchPoints Outlook Guide provide an informed, insightful look at both short- and long-term forecasts, highlighting the trends and technologies that are relevant nowas well as those shaping retail’s future, including:
- Getting omnichannel right: Rather than striving to be all things in all channels, retailers will need to focus on providing exactly what customers need at specific points of the shopper journey — a difficult but not impossible task;
- What’s in store for stores: Brick-and-mortar locations are actually underutilized assets that can serve as physical manifestations of powerful media messaging, fulfillment centers and places offering community, humanity and engaging customer experiences; and
- An increasingly data-driven industry: AI, robotics, computer vision, location technology, the 5G wireless standard and real-time business intelligence will continue to transform the industry as more retailers realize the value of customer data, as well as how it can be used to provide both personalization and customer engagement.
