From The Editor's Desk
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Takeaways From NRF Protect 2015
7/8/2015
Long Beach, CA was the sunny setting for this year’s NRF Protect 2015 Loss Prevention Conference & EXPO. Retail loss prevention and asset protection (AP) professionals gathered to learn about and combat today’s — and tomorrow’s — top security and safety concerns. From the significance of the Internet of Things (IoT) to cybercrime to return fraud to securing the supply chain, NRF Protect left no timely topic untouched.
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Test, Measure, Repeat, Succeed—In Stores
7/1/2015
When e-commerce really started to take off a few years back, it didn’t take cross-channel retailers long to realize the incredible value of the channel’s traceability. Behind the scenes, e-commerce site data—down to the click—was analyzed and scrutinized like a UFO at Area 51. Data scientists in lab coats crunched numbers and ran A/B tests under the watchful eyes of suit-clad executives, all unbeknownst to the customer. And thus, in a matter of months, the retail industry learned more about consumer demand patterns than it had in a hundred years.
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Coming Soon: Innovative Retail Technologies
6/29/2015
You’ve probably noticed that we’ve been covering innovation in retail extensively over the past several months. That’s by design, and we have you, our dedicated readers, to thank. You’re in the throes of experiencing the retail’s industry’s evolution, and so are we.
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EMV Isn’t For Everyone
6/18/2015
I’ll admit that I’m growing a little weary of writing and talking about EMV. Maybe you’re getting even a little more tired of reading and hearing about it. But, bear with me for a minute. I’m not going to try to sell you anything, or persuade you with fear, uncertainty and doubt.
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Overcoming The Overwhelming In Mobile Retailing
6/10/2015
Deloitte’s annual report, Global Powers of Retailing, focuses this year’s theme on innovation. The report takes a deep dive into how retailers are using innovations to address the various changes impacting their businesses. Not surprisingly, one of the top five trends discussed in the report is the proliferation of mobile retailing. Indeed, Deloitte reports a projected 65% of the global population will be using a mobile phone in 2015 and an estimated 83% of Internet usage will be through handheld devices, and that mobile payments and location-based marketing will play a larger role in the coming year. As such, retailers are taking actions to accommodate the customer’s affinity for mobile.
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No Cash, Plenty Of Compromise
6/4/2015
The Danish Parliament just proposed a law, backed by the Danish Chamber of Commerce, that would allow retailers to refuse to accept cash payments.
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Considering The Next Generation Of Consumers
5/28/2015
According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, there are 80 million plus Millennials (the largest cohort size in history). Millennials are never far away from their next text, with 80% sleeping with their mobile phone next to the bed. We’ve written quite a bit about what it means to cater to the Millennial shopper.
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Four Keys To Profitable Fulfillment
5/21/2015
I was in Phoenix last week for Momentum, Manhattan Associates’ annual user conference. The historically supply chain-centric company’s continued press into the store was on full display. Several educational sessions, for instance, focused on in-store mobile applications enabled by Manhattan’s recent acquisition of Global Bay.
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SuiteWorld 2015: Disrupt Or Be Disrupted
5/13/2015
That was one of the main tenets of NetSuite’s SuiteWorld event held recently in San Jose. Fresh off its Bronto acquisition announcement, NetSuite released additional big news at the show, including its newest customers, American Express Global Travel and Qlik.
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Omni-Channel Rocks, But Where’s The Profit?
5/7/2015
It appears that the omni-channel imperative has brought big trouble to the CFO’s office.