It’s only January, but industry insiders are already buzzing about the latest innovations coming out of CES and, most recently, NRF’s BIG Show 2015 in New York City.
If you followed these events, your mind is probably reeling with the endless possibilities for the future of retail and technology.
With so many emerging trends, one can easily be overwhelmed by the rapidly changing landscape and the implications for businesses and their customers. To help make sense of it all, we’ve put together this infographic capturing the leading topics in social media at NRF this year.
Following is a recap of the top three breakout trends that had event attendees talking most:
- Investment in Mobility (22 percent of #NRF15 social conversation): Within this trend, most conversation centered on the shift from fixed to mobile Point of Sale (POS). With the rise of connected consumers, companies need to be equally connected to deliver the most streamlined, personalized path to purchase. Among the brands doing it right is Ulta Beauty, whose new mobile app engages both employees and consumers for a highly customized shopping experience.
- Retail Technology Solutions (19 percent of #NRF15 social conversation): The most popular topics in this category were RFID and beacon technology. While they are transforming customer interactions, they are also creating a wealth of new data that can shape future retail strategies.
- Global E-Commerce (15 percent of #NRF social conversation): As companies seek to grow their retail footprint, the need for a global e-commerce framework arose as a top concern. Specifically, the capacity to collaborate with the right local partners, and tailor content across multiple markets.
While leading topics of conversation at #NRF15, these trends have in fact been gaining momentum for the past few years. What has changed is the willingness of retailers to invest in the systems that harmonize the various channels for customer engagement.
Across all trends that surfaced at the BIG Show, one point was abundantly clear: the ability to meet the needs of today’s empowered customer – mobile, global, and multichannel – can make or break a business. The companies poised to succeed are those that run simpleby offering integrated experiences at all touch points based on a complete view of each customer.
Follow us on Twitter: @SAP_Retail.
This story previously appeared on SAPVoice on Forbes.
Top image: Shutterstock
