IRT Magazine And Featured News Content

31. 3 Ways AR And VR Will Transform Shopper Habits 9/23/2022

    Shoppers are always in search of the new and different. By definition, “to shop” means visiting stores in search of the unexpected. From the rise in shopping malls in the 1960s to the introduction in 1994 of an obscure online bookstore named Amazon, customers have continually been drawn to innovations that make buying easier, less expensive, more convenient, and more exciting.

32. Getting The Fundamentals Of Social Commerce Right 9/14/2022

    A large portion of today’s shoppers don’t remember a world without Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Even those who do recall a pre-social media reality have come to fully embrace the platforms, opening immense opportunities for brands and influencers to capture, engage and sell to new customers.

33. The Great Unwinding 9/14/2022

    There has been much written lately about an eCommerce decline. Recent earnings announcements point to a drop overall in consumer purchases, including online. Also, the pandemic-related company valuations and free capital once available to businesses focused on eCommerce are coming down. Adding to that, with industry shakeups like Shopify laying off staff, all signs point to online commerce decreasing.

34. 4 Tips For Greener eCommerce 9/14/2022

    The internet currently creates one billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year. Online commerce contributes to this due to demand for goods production, packaging, and the added dependency on the supply chain. As consumers, we are responsible for taking care of our earth. The eCommerce industry also can play a pivotal role in sustainability and reducing our climate footprint.

35. The Importance Of The Digital Shelf In The New Era Of Retailing 9/14/2022

    The rise of eCommerce and the evolution of technology has meant a new era of retailing is among us. Consumer demands are constantly evolving, transforming the landscape over the past decade and with modern technology continually developing, the eCommerce industry is only set to get bigger. With predictions suggesting that 95% of all purchases will be made online by 2040, retailers must change and adapt to the new retailing environment.

36. The Retail Revolution: Innovation Must Be At The Heart Of Every Business Strategy 9/8/2022

    Even before the pandemic, the retail industry was in the middle of a revolution. However, this has vaulted forwards rapidly in the last two years. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce Retail Indicator Division, e-commerce sales were $870 billion in the U.S. in 2021, a 14.2% increase over 2020 and a 50.5% increase over 2019. Indeed, e-commerce represented 13.2% of all retail sales in 2021 in the US.

37. Frictionless Retail Shopping Is Here To Stay 8/26/2022

    It's critical for businesses today to adjust to quickly changing retail environments. Since the pandemic, there’s been an increase in frictionless retail, with customer desires for a seamless, quick, convenient, and contactless shopping experience. It is expected there will be over 100 million U.S. proximity mobile payment users in 2022, with growth steadily increasing throughout 2025. This has led many retailers to make equipment investment decisions based on the type of consumer shopping experience that is offered.

38. 4 Ways Retailers Can Use Digital Tech To Deliver Sustainability Gains 8/26/2022

    Consumer priorities are changing — and nowhere is that more visible than in shoppers’ increased attention to the social and environmental impact of their purchases. Today, nearly half of consumers say they’ve changed their purchase behaviors in a bid to address climate change, and 4 in 10 people now choose sustainable products as often as they can.

39. Inflation Fears Are Altering Consumer Spending: What Can Small Retailers Do To Survive? 8/15/2022

    Inflation hit a 41-year high in June 2022, and consumers and businesses are facing yet another global crisis as they continue to bear the weight of other macroeconomic challenges – including supply chain disruptions, supply shortages, and other lingering implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

40. Using AI To Combat Supply Chain Issues 8/15/2022

    It's difficult to know how many decisions artificial intelligence (AI) makes on humanity's behalf each day, but the number is probably staggering. Business leaders are excited by the prospect of AI growing the global gross domestic product (GDP) by $15.7 trillion by 2030. Other accounts say AI spending among retailers alone could reach nearly $20 billion by 2027. Here’s why that's the case.