The National Retail Federation’s annual show took place from the 17th-19th January. Once again there were record breaking numbers of over 34,000 attendees, with 540 exhibiting companies and three days packed with presentations and breakout sessions led by the great and good of retail. There was the usual buzz of innovation with robots and virtual reality, as well as a highly anticipated keynote speech from Colin Powell, the former U.S. Secretary of State.
However this year’s show had a more serious edge – less about glitz and glamour technology, but a focus on trialling and implementing technology to solve specific customer problems. There was an acceptance that the age of omnichannel is over and that it’s no longer about ‘if ’ but about ‘how’ to implement this. Collaboration was a key theme, as was unlocking value from data. Digital also dominated the agenda in many different forms from in-store, online through to payments and security.
So what was discussed at the show that you don’t want to miss? Check out our full post show guide for the insider’s view.