Guest Blog by Camille Chin, Jesta 

Retail partner Jesta gives a product experts recap of NRF: Retail’s Big Show, recently held in New York City.

There’s no better place than NRF: Retail’s Big Show to get the buzz on the retail streets. It’s unarguably the place to get tips that could impact the way you do business and also to catch wind of the trends that will likely shape the industry next.

NRF’s daily session presentations are ideal for gleaning new business insights. Here are five of the talks that our very own experts attended at #NRF2019, January 13 to 15, and the tips they took away.

1. Map Out Your Touchpoints
How many customer touchpoints does your company have? Can you count them on one hand or is the number in the dozens? It’s important for retailers to map out all the touchpoints their customers may experience to ensure cohesive brand interactions and shopping journeys. Whether it be through emails, blogs, print ads, digital ads, call centers, in-store visits etc., companies from start-ups to multimillion dollar enterprises have so many opportunities to talk to shoppers and make a lasting impression. Session: Larger than life – Creating the Ultimate Immersive Experience.

2. Retain Tech Talent
Top companies like Stitch Fix and Sephora continue to grow in size and popularity, and it’s hardly by chance. In addition to attracting, recruiting and hiring individuals who are well-versed in the latest ground-breaking tech, top companies integrate and retain “tech-talent” through creative flexibility that nurtures and expands their knowledge. Benefits such as working from home and flexible hours also ensure that employees feel trusted, empowered and in turn motivated to succeed and influence the larger culture. Session: Tech First – How Retail is Reimagining Talent and Acquisition for the Digital Generation.

3. Attain Omnichannel Musts
Leading retail companies like eBay, UK-based John Lewis, and Walmart prioritize shopping experiences to ensure they’re flawless across every customer touchpoint, device and location to grow sales and customer loyalty. The five omnichannel capabilities listed here were identified as must-haves to make lasting shopper impressions:

• Accurate inventory visibility across all channels
• Consistent Endless Aisle experiences both online and in store
• The ability to start a transaction online and then complete it in store
• The capacity to buy online and pickup in store with a short fulfillment time
• Same-day ship from store

Session: Five Secrets to Omnichannel Success.

4. Stay On Top of Trends
Understanding global consumer trends can help retailers invest in technology more intelligently, create dynamic experiences for customers and find best-in-class strategic partners. One current project with a pulse on how retail is changing and the direction it may continue to evolve is Manhattan’s Hudson Yards. Hudson Yards has been described as the neighbourhood of the future and is one of the largest, private, mixed-use real estate projects in the world. Its hotel, residential spaces, office towers, stores, and restaurants are so tech-forward, even in terms of sustainability, it’s no doubt a project to stay on top of — and maybe even model. Session: Understanding the International Consumer.

5. Be Mindful of Other Industries
Tomorrow’s consumer will expect anything, anyplace, anytime. We have to improve our shipping times and inventory turnarounds now by exploring new models and technologies. Could the solution be robotics, delivery drones or self-driving vehicles? The answer is being explored as we speak, but one thing is for sure: online groceries are a massive opportunity finally reaching an inflection point. Follow the advances in the food industry — self-checkout apps, click and collect, driverless delivery and more — for ideas about your fulfillment future. Session: A Long View on Logistics and the Future of Fulfillment.

How We Can Help:
Jesta’s end-to-end Vision Suite platform streamlines and unifies entire supply chains. Our Omnichannel Solutions, complete with Endless Aisle and Order Management software, will get you many of the must-have capabilities and help you create immersive shopping experiences to uniquely color each of your customer touchpoints.

For more information on retail solutions from Jesta I.S. and Infogain, click here or reach out to us at retailsolutions@infogain.com