Latest Retail Insight, News, Information & Articles from all top sources for the Internet.

Delivery is more in-demand than ever. Customers want more orders, more quickly. Which means companies are working faster, too. But with the rise of one-click ordering, same-day fulfillment, and price wars between retailers—it can be hard to keep up with ‘I want it now’ expectations and the appetite for more delivery options. Some companies are scaling their own distribution centers and bringing Chief Supply Officers onto their teams to handle this new tempo—even doubling physical stores as digital fulfillment centers or building micro-fulfillment centers in major cities. Others are outsourcing to third party distributors—though increasingly looking for options beyond the big industry players. Luckily, new solutions are popping up as quickly as packages are popping up on peoples’ doorsteps. And we see IT as the key to keeping up. Here’s why.       1- Digital value chain makes ‘pick and pack’ possible The popular ‘Pick and Pack’ model requires workers to pack individua...

What’s the best way to connect and empower a retail organization? Unified communications—collaborative tools like chat, video conferencing, VoIP , and more. Used strategically, solutions like these can add value for customers, engage employees, and even generate operational cost savings.   According to a 2019 report . UC solutions are gaining ground because the competitive advantage they offer is real. Here are five reasons why you should make a strong UC platform a cornerstone of your retail IT strategy.   1-UC is critical for the customer experience. Through tools like chatbots and remote expert video collaboration, customers can get the exact product information they need, when they need it. Equipped with a consistent mobile platform, sales associates can answer even the most challenging customer questions on the spot and more easily capitalize on those last-mile opportunities for shoppers. 2-UC makes multi-channel shopping seamless. Today’s consumers want to shop...

The future of Retail is coming into focus. Consumers want to keep it simple. They want a convenient, personalized shopper journey that accommodates their lifestyle and preferences. However, in order to deliver this seamless, omni-channel retail experience, retailers need to unify their end-to-end value chain. What’s the ultimate driver for this integrated, simple retail model? Technology. NRF ( National Retail Federation ) is Retail’s Big Show, and it’s right around the corner. This year’s theme is “Vision,” as retailers are approaching the new year with a whole new perspective (or, 20/20 vision). At Cisco, we see a bright future for retail too. We are helping retailers envision their own market potential, by connecting the unconnected through our innovative technologies and solutions, every day. Visit Cisco at NRF Booth #3754 to experience our origin to consumption (or grape to glass) booth journey. We will show how the right technologies can connect the end-to-end retail experi...

Imagine this: you walk into a fancy, big-box electronics retailer, excited to buy your next major purchase. You are approached by a salesperson who doesn’t know what you want and therefore isn’t sure how to help you pick out your dream purchase. You both try to look up the product information on the website. The phone connectivity is slow and you have no time to enter your personal details to access store WiFi. This experience sounds familiar, right? And it’s one that leaves you less than satisfied with the retailer. Now imagine this: you go to that same fancy store, but the salesperson knows your needs before you even walk in the door. Timely analytics and better connectivity  enabled by 5G  allow this salesperson to have the right information about you at the right time. He can now understand your purpose for visiting the store the moment your car arrives in the parking lot. Retail is no stranger to disruption. Mobile apps and, before that, the rise of online shopping itse...