According to Forbes’ insights from the recent National Retail Federation (Washington, D.C.) trade show and conference, The Big Show, the retail industry is set to see more of at least six new tech-fueled trends.
Among the trends were more cloud-connected machines (like Starbucks and Microsoft’s connected, analytics-collecting coffee stations); more Amazon Go-like cashierless stores; more robot-conducted warehouse fulfillment (like Amazon uses); in-store drones along with robots as store employees (Giant Food Stores has already begun using a robot assistant for its refrigerated beverages aisles in 172 stores); returns will be faster and less costly with a vaster network of warehouses; and more store shelves will be digital to sell ad space and provide shopper data.
While many of these trends have begun to surface in recent years, it’s expected that they will become more common to increase efficiency and create a more convenient experience for shoppers that mimics the ease of online shopping.