Technology

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the United States, setting back store reopening plans, small to midsized retailers must grapple with the realization that new consumer behaviors and protocols sprung from this health crisis will be here for much longer than initially anticipated. Fortunately, there are technologies and integrations available that are able to…

The retail experience was undergoing a transformation even before the current pandemic forced massive changes in shopping behavior. A 2019 survey revealed that 92 percent of 1,400 retail leaders identified "reinventing the customer experience" as their top business priority. However, with the new reality we’ve all been forced into, the stakes for retailers are higher…

There’s no doubt that recent circumstances surrounding COVID-19 have reshaped the way retailers operate and connect with their customers daily. Shelter-in-place ordinances and stay-at-home mandates have forced retail brands to rely on artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and chatbot technology to manage much of the workload required for servicing their customers’ needs. In fact,…

In this unpredictable world of 2020, it’s critical that retailers drive customer engagement and focus on customer satisfaction. COVID-19 has turned our lives — personal and professional — upside down. The good news is that the craziness of this year has taught us that we're all capable of change, even rapid change. Yet the road…

At the end of 2019, retail was one of the hottest industries poised for digital disruption in 2020 and the decade ahead. In fact, PwC reported it’s one of the top industries with the greatest opportunity for artificial intelligence (AI) impact by 2030. Looking back at the digital strides retailers have made over the past…

The COVID-19 outbreak is turning out to be the biggest unprecedented event in modern times. But we all can agree that we're at a better place than we were in the 1920s when the last pandemic broke out. Today, information technology (IT) has enabled businesses to operate despite closing their physical doors. Thanks to IT…

"Shelter in place" and "safer-at-home" orders are starting to lift in states across the country. Retailers are getting the green light to reopen their shops, but the reality they're returning to is entirely different than the one that they left. The impact of COVID-19 on the retail industry has been profound and is constantly evolving.…

A few jobs back and several years ago, I worked for an oil company. I started right before a boom-and-bust cycle. I don’t know how I always get so lucky, but suffice to say my long-term incentive options were timed in the absolute worst possible way. I tend to be the poster child of “buy…

Although the surge in contact-free pickup and delivery offerings has been tied to the current pandemic, it’s likely their popularity within the retail industry will remain well after the crisis passes. As such, retailers will need to figure out how to maintain these services while still keeping a tight rein on labor, operational and systems…

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, a retailer’s ability to operate safely depends on the dual effectiveness of its social distancing measures and sanitation protocols. It’s the new reality of 2020, which only intensified with the resurgence of the virus across the U.S. in July. That showcased exactly why retailers must have the right precautionary measures in…