The 2018 State Of Retail

Customer experience is inherently intertwined with retail, an industry only growing in complexity. That’s because shoppers are everywhere—in-store, online, and often both at once—and their expectations are at an all-time high regardless of where they are or how they’re purchasing. How did we get here?

Customer experience is inherently intertwined with retail, an industry growing in complexity. That’s because shoppers are everywhere—in-store, online, and often both at once—and their expectations are at an all-time high regardless of where they are or how they’re purchasing.

How did we get here? Technology, which has not only enabled shoppers but retailers, too. In-store associates are walking the floors with tablets. Online chatbots are popping up across screens of all sizes. The buzzwords around us—seamless, frictionless, and omnichannel, to name a few—are more than shop talk. They’re mandates for retailers vying for a bigger share of the multitrillion-dollar global market.

In this, our November special series, we open our door to the state of retail: where it stands, what’s new, and what’s next. With the holidays fast approaching, the insights are priceless.