Digital Innovation

This report examines how the activities traditionally associated with commerce are being disrupted and transformed by innovations that will redefine how we produce, distribute, market and consume products and services. Our analysis points to a redefinition and upgrade of commerce practices around rapid technological, operational and societal shifts that are already disrupting how we experience reality as well as what and who we trust. It offers a view into the future of commerce.

For a long time, common business perception was that customers demanded having more choices. However, a new study surveying consumers in the U.S., U.K. and Germany shows that expectations of consumers are more nuanced. Consumers do want more choices, but they don’t want to be overwhelmed by them. More is less. Choice overload, customer confusion and…

There's lots of buzz surrounding digital-native brands and what's making them so disruptive and relevant today. While the definition of digital native is evolving, they are companies that launch as web-only retailers with the belief that superior technology can be a differentiator. They often engender loyalty by projecting authenticity and effectively leveraging social media. More…

Google announced yesterday a new service designed to help retailers take on Amazon — and give Google a cut of their sales in the process. The service, Shopping Actions (formerly known as Google Express), gives consumers an easy way to shop for retailers’ products on the Google Assistant app and search via Google Search with…

As has been written about ad nauseam in this e-newsletter and countless others retail trade publications, personalization is the Holy Grail for retailers. After all, done right, personalization elevates consumers’ lives and promotes engagement by providing products and/or content that tune into and even anticipate the needs of customers. The benefits of personalization to the customer…

As Nick Wingfield, technology correspondent for The New York Times described in his vivid, first-hand account of shopping at the Amazon Go store, it’s hard not to get excited about the future of retailing. And while the retail industry can use all the good press it can get, I’m not sure this is it. It was…

The digital transformation has been building up for decades, yet some businesses are slow to embrace change. Many leaders may not see the threat of this paradigm shift because they still see profit, but they need to look to technology as a catalyst in future plans. This technological era is so critical, demanding and fast-moving that if these leaders fail to understand how they can leverage IoT for their company’s benefit, they're in danger of becoming the next Kodak or Nokia.

Amazon.com announced yesterday it’s expanding its delivery partnership with Whole Foods by rolling out free delivery from the grocery chain to Prime members in San Francisco and Atlanta. Recode reports orders that total at least $35 can be delivered within two hours for free through Amazon's Prime Now service, or within one hour for an…

In this webinar, you’ll learn the ideal way to structure your business for the future of “commerce”.

In an interview at the eTail West conference in Palm Springs, Calif., this morning, Bruce Starnes, vice president, digital solutions, Target, addressed how the big-box retailer is evolving its business to thrive in a changing retail environment. Starnes was interviewed by Jenny Kaplan, consumer goods reporter for Bloomberg.