The fifth annual Retail Innovation Conference (#RIC19), May 6-8 in NYC, will be a motivational gold mine for retail executives who will be inspired by leading innovators and disruptors. They will have a chance to learn from retail executives at Wayfair, Orvis, Boscov’s, The Vitamin Shoppe, Rebecca Minkoff and other brands, along with industry experts such as Brian Solis, Deb Gabor, Brian Smith and Jeff Fromm. The RIC keynotes will be presented by some of the industry’s top thinkers, who will help retailers navigate the latest developments in the industry: Brian Solis, Principal Analyst at Altimeter, will discuss the topic of “Digital Darwinism” — how the modern landscape is challenging traditional brands and ushering in a new breed of retailers. Solis will offer best practices to help retailers understand this new wave of retailing, spotlighting six key takeaways and success stories from brands including TUMI and Neiman Marcus. Jeff Fromm, President of FutureCast, will tackle the topic of connecting with next-generation consumers. This session will debunk some of the myths surrounding Gen Z, explain how savvy retailers gain their frequency of use and price elasticity advantages, and identify the three kinds of retailers he expects to be big winners in…

As smartphones become a critical shopping tool for consumers, they expect associates to have the same level of access to digital information. In fact, 85.3% of shoppers expect retailers to provide associates with handheld or fixed devices to check inventory and price within a store, a nearly 51% increase over 2017, according to a survey from SOTI. The Annual Connected Retailer Survey has found that consumers’ expectations of in-store technology have heightened dramatically year over year: Mobile registers: 41.7% of shoppers expected this in 2018, up 64.3% from 2017; and Handheld devices to communicate with the back room — 22.3% of shoppers expected this in 2018, up 29.65% from 2017.

The rise of Amazon Go has put the spotlight on cashierless checkout technology over the past year, but retailers could face real dilemmas as they seek to implement and scale up these solutions. Consumers are intrigued by the technology and appreciate anything that removes friction from the in-store checkout process, but cashierless checkout has so far been largely limited to the convenience and grocery verticals. Additionally, the solutions’ current cost structure, as well as the overall disruption they bring to store operations, remain big challenges. Before building out cashierless checkout strategies, retailers must first consider: Which of the two types of cashierless technology should be deployed within stores: Amazon Go-style AI- and computer vision-powered technology, or mobile self-checkout; Why traditional self-checkout doesn’t always mean a frictionless experience; Why anti-theft measures remain a big concern; Costs associated with each technology; and The potential disruption to the cashier employment model.

Although Dormify started as a pure play retailer selling bedding and home décor designed primarily for college dorms, the company learned upon testing that a physical showroom, pop-up stores and events helped the retailer generate more revenue across all channels. In an exclusive Q&A with Retail TouchPoints, Dormify President Caren Sinclair-Kay revealed: How the retailer’s move into pop-up “Style Studios” near Chicago and Washington, D.C. increased year-over-year revenue in those markets 200% to 250%, well ahead of the national revenue boost; Why the retailer’s customer acquisition push starts in January; Why Instagram is the top social network for social media engagement; and How the retailer differentiates itself, via online offerings including a College Freshman Planning Guide, Style Quiz and a new AR experience.

Absenteeism is running rampant in retail: 31% of global retailers said they are understaffed during periods of peak workload at least half the time, and 67% are understaffed at least 25% of the time, according to a survey by Kronos. Additionally, 58% of retailers are challenged by the negative impact that unplanned absences have on staff productivity, 55% feel its effects on manager stress and 46% report taking a hit to team morale. Managing these issues can seriously hurt the bottom line: 88% of global retailers overschedule or add additional labor rather than risk being understaffed. While staffing at higher levels is a costly remedy, the alternative — not enough associates to help customers — often directly alienates shoppers. “We had 47% of employers say unplanned absenteeism affects customer satisfaction, and another 42% believe it impacts store revenue,” said Joyce Maroney, Executive Director of The Workforce Institute at Kronos in an interview with Retail TouchPoints. “The impact of absenteeism goes beyond just a budget issue — it’s also an issue to the top-line revenue and the morale in the store.” One of the driving forces behind absenteeism is a lack of employee engagement: 52% of global retailers feel poor engagement…