In-Store Technology

Imagine you’re at a store with harsh, unflattering lighting — and you’re waiting a long time for the store associate to give you a hand. When she finally comes over, she’s rude and abrupt. Weeks later when you recall this event, you remember vividly that all the clothes looked terrible on you. But were the…

With everything that’s been happening in the retail industry lately, one would be tempted to think that the brick-and-mortar store is over. But that’s simply not true. The National Retail Federation estimated that during the most recent holiday shopping period at the end of 2016, e-commerce represented approximately 18 percent of the $656 billion in…

With everything that’s been happening in the retail industry lately, one would be tempted to think that the brick-and-mortar store is over. But that’s simply not true. The National Retail Federation estimated that during the most recent holiday shopping period at the end of 2016, e-commerce represented approximately 18 percent of the $656 billion in […]

I hear two main culprits from senior retail executives when it comes to their companies’ troubles: getting the merchandising right (i.e., matching supply and demand), and the burgeoning growth of e-commerce. Stores are often left with either too much or not enough inventory — suffering in either circumstance. While it seems as if it’s raining…

As the battle between brick-and-mortar retailers and online giants like Amazon.com wages on, retailers are now transitioning to zero inventory and putting excess inventory in an online shop. This strategy, often referred to as an “endless aisle,” is being used by big-box and specialty retailers alike. Stores are able to reach digital shoppers using online…

This week, Amazon.com announced a new device called Echo Look, a “style assistant” camera that helps catalog your outfits and rates your look based on “machine learning algorithms with advice from fashion specialists.” Users can prompt the Echo to take full-length photos or short videos of outfits so they can see themselves from angles seldom seen…

Over the last couple of decades, e-commerce has changed the retail game by bringing the "store" to the internet. We have now entered a phase where the next game-changing opportunity for retailers is to bring the "internet" to the store. According to a recent Pew Research Center report, if given a choice, 64 percent of…

You know the feeling — your phone is slowly creeping down to 1 percent battery while you're away from an easily accessible power outlet. Your eyes scan the walls of the restaurant or store, trying to find an electrical outlet to plug it into. There’s a feeling of relief if you're able to find one…

Early 2017 has been eye-popping for big retail, with The Limited filing for Chapter 11 and iconic brands like Macy’s and Sears announcing major store closures. However, within these landmark events, we can find an equally important theme: sometimes the biggest failures in life give way to the most important successes. After all, “Failure is…