It’s not what you sell, but rather the data you use to sell it. That’s the winning sales philosophy for today’s retailers. Indeed, your actual product offering plays only a small role in modern day retail success. From grocery chains to clothing outlets, leaders understand that the higher the quality of data, the better the customer insight, market analysis, and potential for profits and growth. And the secret sauce is mastering how to engage consumers…  MORE

No technology leader can be blamed for feeling a bit overwhelmed with how to handle artificial intelligence (AI). On one hand, there’s the prevailing message that AI will not only fundamentally change business, it will completely transform how we live. On the other hand, CIOs and CTOs must not be blinded by any amount of potential hype. Those competing mindsets are causing many leaders to employ a pragmatic approach to AI deployment strategy. According to…  MORE

So you sell retail goods? The same can be said for your competitors. In the battle between you and everyone else in your category, your offerings are no longer the sole reason why someone chooses one retailer over another. The winning recipe can often be distilled to one element: the quality of the customer experience. Of course, the actual products themselves play a role in your success. Yet consumers, increasingly, can view specific product categories…  MORE

When retail leaders have trouble sleeping at night, it’s not necessarily because they’re worried about low sales of specific products. Rather, their lack of rest stems from more of a high-level concern: How can they provide faster delivery, keep costs low, improve efficiency and security, and better predict the forces that will affect the supply chain? And more than ever, major retailers are turning to GPS tracking technology as the answer to that multi-pronged question….  MORE

Since the dawn of retail, the store window has played a key role in sales. Merchandising, displays, mannequins, and other promotional tactics – when executed correctly – can lure customers and increase cash flow. We’re now witnessing an expanded function of the store window, thanks to the latest digital technology. Due to Covid, consumers today spend more time on their devices, which causes them to shop differently. In turn, retailers have been forced to create…  MORE

When considering potential technology solutions, IT leaders want to save as much money as possible. And increasingly, they also have a mandate to execute sustainable technology practices. With artificial intelligence (AI), CIOs and CTOs can accomplish both of those goals at the same time. It turns out they can achieve those objectives by writing greener code. For some time, coders have looked for ways for their work to be more environmentally friendly. But that noble…  MORE

Not so long ago, retail consumers were introduced to the concept of self-checkout. Instead of a cashier scanning items and bagging them, you had the freedom to do it yourself. New checkout experiences will soon enhance self-checkout. These are “contactless” systems powered by the latest computer vision and AI technologies. Instacart, in collaboration with Amazon One, are implementing palm-recognition payment technology to over 500 Whole Foods locations across the country. Other retailers are experimenting with…  MORE

We see the claim everywhere these days: Artificial intelligence is taking over. AI will not only change the world, it already has changed the world. Business will never be the same; life will never be the same. So organizations that don’t adopt an AI strategy will soon fall into a deep digital hole. While there’s some hype in that sentiment, there’s also a lot of truth. Yet the AI craze enveloping us can obscure the…  MORE