Technology

Retail has always been about conversation. Long before artificial intelligence, the best store associates knew the real sale happened in the exchange — the “what are you looking for today?” that turned a browser into a buyer. Yet somehow, as the industry raced to digitize everything, that conversational instinct got lost and replaced with menus,…

The retail industry has entered a new era, one in which fragmented omnichannel strategies are no longer enough to meet rising consumer expectations and mounting operational pressures. According to Manhattan Associates’ latest report, Unified Commerce Powers Future Retail Success, the retailers pulling ahead are those that have moved beyond omnichannel and embraced unified commerce: a…

The retail industry spent the past decade building big. Scale was every CIO's mantra — massive systems designed to support millions of users and petabytes of data. And for a while, that strategy worked. E-commerce platforms handle holiday spikes. Cloud infrastructure powers businesses of every size. The engineering challenge of scale has largely been solved.…

Retail technology teams face a paradox: artificial intelligence is transforming how software gets built, yet the very tools that accelerate delivery are outpacing the security processes designed to protect it. For retailers competing on digital experience, faster development is essential. However, as the use of generative AI to create code and automate features becomes standard…

When shopping online, customers expect everything to work seamlessly. There’s no room for friction like a pricing error, payment failure, or out-of-stock item masquerading as “in stock.” If anything goes wrong, online shoppers take their business elsewhere. That’s why e-commerce continuity is table stakes for retailers today, especially when high-profile events such as Cyber Monday…

In large retail operations, category management teams spend significant time deciding which product goes onto which shelf and in which order. Shelf space is very expensive real estate in retail. According to Consumer Packaged Goods(CPG) Research, 10 percent improvement in shelf availability can drive a 5 percent sales lift. Shelf updates don’t happen frequently because…

New York Fashion Week (NYFW) has always been about more than what happens on the runway. Look behind the shows and you’ll see a real-time signal of how the fashion industry is evolving and where its biggest pressures lie. As I spoke with designers, brand leaders, and retail executives at NYFW last month, one theme…

A new global consumer survey from SOTI, Retail Tech Assessment: Opportunities for Enhanced Consumer Experiences, reveals a retail landscape shaped by rising anxiety and shifting expectations. Drawing on insights from thousands of consumers, the report highlights how fraud, economic uncertainty and supply chain disruption influence how people shop — and whom they trust. For retailers,…

With another holiday shopping season behind us, the retail community has a brief moment to pause and reflect on what lies ahead. In this spirit, now is the time for predictions. Granted, no one has a crystal ball and geopolitical events can upend even the steadiest of markets, however, there is value in taking stock…

For retail and e-commerce leaders, the story is becoming all too familiar. A polished demo. A convincing return on investment model. Promises that a new warehouse management, fulfillment, or visibility platform will “pay for itself” in 12 months to 18 months. The business case is approved, contracts signed. And a few years later, the organization…