Technology

It’s not an easy time to be a marketer or PR professional, particularly in the retail sector. Despite years of denial in which communicators wantonly dismissed the reality that increasingly sophisticated AI seemed to be slowly yet determinedly encroaching on their core skill sets – namely copywriting, wordsmithing and poeticizing the virtues of their brands and the products they sell – OpenAI’s release of ChatGPT last November provided the most convincing glimpse yet as to how these new, revolutionary generative natural language technologies …

ChatGPT: More Friend than Foe for Retail MarketersRead More

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, productivity across retail has not increased in nearly 30 years. In our digital marketplace, more data than ever is being acquired through multiple platforms emerging to keep up with unpredictable consumer behavior. This data-driven environment is only getting more complex by the minute. For field and corporate teams in retail, data has evolved from being the go-to source of insight to a digital nightmare that’s bogging down the industry. On any given day, managers are expected to compile and …

The Future of Retail ProductivityRead More

Speculation surrounding the future of retail continues unabated. But a stroll through the Innovation Lab 2023 at the NRF Big Show revealed the bets that startups have placed on retail’s future priorities and pain points, offering tech-based systems and services to either exploit or solve them. The startups offer a glimpse into the innovation process. It operates on a continuum, where what starts as a murmur, evolves into a fad, and eventually becomes a business. Or the opposite where 90 percent of startups fail. This year’s crop demonstrated …

Take Notice: Smart Systems Are AcceleratingRead More

I recently discussed the sustainability issues in fashion that are plaguing the industry in The Zero Waste Revolution. Priorities to shift thinking and operations include adopting circular business models and decelerating overall production. Now my focus is on one of the most impactful solutions—implementing new technology in each stage of the fashion supply chain. From using AI for accurate forecasting to managing returns, there are tech solutions available to fashion retailers to make achieving zero waste more attainable. Building A …

Tech Solutions for SustainabilityRead More

While the metaverse has been waving its avatar hands, garnering the attention of Chief Marketing Officers now lined up in starting blocks, the starter pistol in the metaverse marketing race won’t echo with any scale for years. Exploration and testing in the domain are prudent, but they should not distract attention from the paradigm shift that is already unfolding. Artificial Intelligence has entered a new phase that will change many things, but the focus of this screed is how it will affect the marketing of brands, and retailing. The New …

A Marketing Paradigm ShiftRead More

From empty store shelves to labor shortages, inflation has impacted the retail industry far and wide. Retailers have been forced to balance ongoing supply chain issues, price increases, and staffing slowdowns during these challenging economic times. One area that retailers can tap into to help navigate these unpredictable times is that of Spatial Intelligence. This type of technology measures how customers move inside physical stores using machine learning, providing retailers with key insights into their customer behavior that have …

How to Navigate Down Markets with Spatial IntelligenceRead More