2017 NRF BIG Show Predictions
By Erin Harris, Editor-In-Chief, Cell & Gene
Follow Me On Twitter @ErinHarris_1
The New Year is almost here, which means the 2017 NRF BIG Show is almost here. The convention and expo, which will be held from January 15-17 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, promises to deliver “Innovations, Connections, Solutions.” I’ll skip the noise of the who, what, and when — you know you’re in for insightful sessions and game-changing technologies as well as we do. From a prediction standpoint, however, here’s what I think we’ll see at the 2017 BIG Show.
In-Store Reboot
While we’re all in agreement that the store isn’t going away, its role in omni-channel and the customer journey is evolving — rapidly. Expect to learn about the ways savvy retailers are using innovative retail technologies and impactful customer analytics to revitalize the store and transform it into a hub that inspires deep brand affinity and fosters business agility. Keep your eyes and ears open for ways to boost in-store traffic, which goes hand-in-hand with improvements around labor allocation, schedule integration, incentives, and store performance benchmarking.
Predictive Artificial Intelligence
I dedicated plenty of ink to artificial intelligence (AI) in the November/December issue of Innovative Retail Technologies for a reason. Many retailers leverage AI to better understand, connect with, and create superior experiences for consumers. I anticipate more than a few conversations, sessions, and technologies dedicated to AI.
VR/AR
Virtual reality (VR), along with its sister technology augmented reality (AR), offers retailers the opportunity to transform how people shop. If your organization is developing a visual commerce strategy, the successful incorporation of VR and AR into retail models has the potential to vastly change the way retailers are thinking about stores of the future. You WILL hear about VR/AR at the BIG Show.
All Things Digital
From 1:1 personalization to email marketing to unraveling customer data to delivering a better web experience, expect to learn about the benefits of a personalized online shopping journey and the tools necessary to achieve them.
CX
What’s the over/under on how many times the words “customer experience” will be uttered at the show? I say that in jest, but the fact of the matter is that for all the reasons retail executives attend this show — networking, education, walk and shop the Expo floor, etc. — there is one common denominator, the customer experience.
The Amazon Go Factor
Hear me out on this. Retail’s buzzing over Amazon’s most recent disruption, Amazon Go, a checkout-free brick-and-mortar experience in Seattle. Amazon Go’s “Just Walk Out” technology automatically detects when products are taken from or returned to the shelves and keeps track of them in a virtual cart. When the customer’s done shopping, they simply leave the store. Easy peasy, right? Maybe. Let’s all take a deep breath and wait to see how this shakes out. Apply this logic to the BIG Show. The Expo floor will be riddled with next-gen innovative retail technologies that are sure to help retailers move the business forward. But, the idea is to go to the show with a solid understanding of the technologies your company needs today to compete in retailing tomorrow. Worry less about line-free, checkout-free-style technologies and more about innovation in order management, video analytics, labor scheduling, machine learning, in-store operations, fulfillment, etc. There are plenty of ground-breaking technologies that will help to surprise and delight the consumer that don’t involve The Amazon Go Factor.
In closing, this is a snapshot of the innovative topics and technologies we’re sure to hear about at the BIG Show next month. Stop by the Innovative Retail Technologies booth (#3782) to tell us about your experiences, your challenges, to pick up a copy of our inaugural Retailer Innovation Awards, and to meet the team and rest your feet. See you in New York!