"Make it better" was the motto of NRF 2024.
The retail week, held annually in January in New York City, reminded exhibitors, speakers and attendees from more than 100 countries not to wait. Meaningful choices and connections must be made now to enhance the relationship with their customers and secure long-term growth.
From January 13 to 16, power2Cloud also joined customers, partners and key global market players in the Big Apple to network and gather the most interesting insights dedicated to online and offline retail.
More than 100 speeches, including those from business celebrities such as Martha Stewart and Drew Barrymore, and nearly 1,000 booths set up at the Javits Convention Center showed where we are heading.
The focus on technologies continues to transform all verticals, the experience offered by customer service, and, of course, the experience of those in the business.
Although Artificial Intelligence is the common denominator of innovative technologies and approaches, the NRF 2024 edition focused on how to elevate the customer experience, offer simplified and smarter omnichannel operations, not forgetting important aspects such as supply chain management and logistics, with RFIDs, for example.
"The NRF again this year did not disappoint expectations!" says Giordano Iovine, CEO power2Cloud.
"We celebrate the synergy between the entrepreneurial vision of our customers, the know-how we have acquired over time but which is always evolving, and the innovative path of our technology partners towards smarter, more dynamic and consumer-oriented retail.
Combining technological innovation, with a deep understanding of the needs of this industry, has been our mission for many years now. In a constantly evolving world, we are committed to integrating tailored solutions to support the future of commerce."
Retail locations as destinations rather than points of purchase, no shortage of robots and automation
But what will the future look like?
Hard to say since technology, think Gemini, is evolving rapidly.
To ensure a five-star experience, the integration of technologies and touchpoints, combined with data analytics, automations and personalization, is the perfect recipe, not just for retailers.
While it is true that European retail is different from overseas retail, the future will not wait. We will increasingly see robots coming out of logistics warehouses to join automated checkout systems or food preparation, but also AI-supported interactive avatars available for customer care and POS self-service.
Alongside innovative startups at NRF, there was no shortage of established innovators such as Meta for Work, which continues to invest in augmented reality for increasingly immersive experiences.
Evolved digital signage is also an undisputed protagonist , making shop windows, kiosks, make-up displays, refrigerator doors and entire sales departments interactive, involving not only luxury products and services.
So it is not so strange to see even in the fruit and vegetable counter displays broadcasting uninterruptedly next to the prices a programming of winking videos and promos that solicit all the senses. Impossible to resist! Communication does not interrupt its storytelling and accompanies the consumer at all times to inform, help research, offer support by connecting eCommerce to physical stores. But these are just a few examples.
Even food service is ready to break out of its box to gain more space and not be relegated only to the food court of a shopping mall. It is not hard to imagine-and we are increasingly witnessing this change in Europe as well-small convenience stores that offer great coffee just like at the coffee shop, clothing stores with chic cafes, and home improvement outlets that allow people to order wine and tapas.
What about self-service services, then? Users quickly buy what they want without checking out, think of the Amazon Pay innovation whereby they can scan the App's QR code at the entrance for a direct debit at the exit, or authenticate the payment just by scanning their face or even thanks to RFID technologies.
Cutting-edge equipment that looks like something out of a science fiction movie is ready to bake a pizza, fry chips, make vending machines innovative and smart even with "bring and go" solutions , assist customers at all times, but this is just the beginning, who knows what else they will be able to do.
NRF 2024, a great show in the cloud as well
Our partners who decided to participate inNRF24 did so by devising rich and welcoming booths dedicated to concrete solutions, well anchored in the present but looking toward the future.
Google, the right AI for every need
Google's mission has always been to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Today, with the advent of artificial intelligence, this goal is achievable in an even more concrete way, thanks to ideas and tools that bring the power of AI truly within everyone's reach.
We have seen ultra-light, compact drones capable of delivering packages while cutting down on time, cost, and environmentally harmful emissions. Intelligent systems capable of understanding images, text, video and sound have cataloged thousands of products in minutes, with impressive levels of detail and zero margins of error, bringing enormous benefits to warehouse management.
Before our very eyes, in just a few clicks on easy-to-use interfaces, AI has retouched and radically transformed e-commerce images, significantly lowering costs and time physiological until now in image and video production.
Artificial intelligence in advertising, then, has shown itself in all its potential, enabling the analysis of incredible amounts of data, automatic hypersegmentation of audiences and maximum optimization of economic resources.
BigCommerce, personalization without limits
When the market is running fast, technology runs the risk of lagging behind. Online stores thus end up soon becoming outdated, heavy and difficult to navigate. This is not the case for BigCommerce, which has announced very important innovations that will change, again, the rules of the game in online commerce.
A new infrastructural approach, even more flexible and high-performance development technologies, and a new low-code editor capable of giving even marketers full control over layout, design, and web pages. Combine these powerful tools with relentless work on brand building and conversion optimization, and success is more than within reach.
Shopify, the Point Of Sales of dreams
Thanks to ultratechnological, stationary and portable checkout devices, it is concretely possible today to create a unique and personalized experience, not only for customers but also for in-store staff, optimizing their sales performance.
Thanks to a handheld device as small as a phone, checking for sizes in stock is as immediate as scanning a bar code, just as it is really easy to access a customer's personal information and past purchase history, save physical carts during a visit to the physical store, turn that visit into a cart synchronized with the customer's personal profile, or request a credit card payment from any point in the store.
Avalara, managing customs fees has never been easier
Inside the booth of the world's leading tax compliance software there was a fresh, relaxed and fun air. It's not hard to believe given what we got to see in just a few clicks: clear management dashboards, automations on calculations and shipments, simple management of complex supply chains. Processes that once would have required vertical expertise and teams of dedicated people are now possible with just a few clicks, with no mistakes.
New York, once again, has managed to amaze us. We are looking forward to one of the richest years ever for retail with novelties, changes, challenges and horizons never seen before.
Are you ready to experience it all with us?