Sneak Peek At 2017 Retail Tech Spending Plans

By Matt Pillar, chief editor

We just wrapped our annual retail tech spending survey, the results of which will be reported in detail in the November issue of Innovative Retail Technologies. As we crunch the numbers in preparation of the report, we’re seeing both the continuation of some of the trends we’ve been charting for the past few years. Investments in mobile, for both POS and to aid retail associates with task management, customer relationship management, and inventory visibility will continue at a healthy pace next year. Not surprisingly, we’ll see the continuation of heavy investment in back-office omni-channel initiatives that drive enterprise inventory transparency.

Beyond asking merchants what they’ll be investing in, however, our survey explores the tech picks that have been working well for retailers, as well as the trends they’re panning. As such, we’ve uncovered some strong opinions on the healthy adoption—or quick damnation—of the more progressive trends and technologies coming to market.