Our annual report on the “state of the retail store ” has just published, and even though most of retailers’ current growth is coming from digital channels, shoppers continue to visit stores – and will for many years to come. Their demand for a more relevant store shopping experience, however, has retailers asking “How can we rejuvenate the in-store experience? ” in order to return stores to their rightful place in the retail ecosystem.  

What’s In Store for Stores? seeks to examine this question in detail. Some highlights of the report include the following:

• While showrooming and omni-channel pressures dominate media conversations, fundamental and traditional pressures rise to the top of store-based issues. Find out what retailers report as their top Business Challenges.
• Retailers’ sales performance dramatically affects their perception of what will make their stores more interesting places to shop. Winners have already had more success prioritizing their employee work schedules. Where else have they made gains? Find out in the Opportunities section.
• All retailers face similar Organizational Inhibitors but the technology infrastructure problem appears to be winding down for the best performers. Instead, Retail Winners worry that – for one – putting technology in the hands of store personnel can be a distraction rather than a useful tool.
• And retailers know their stores are in a tough spot: in desperate need of systems overhauls for both customer and employee facing technologies. Find out which technologies hold the most value – and budget – to help them “get there ” in the Technology Enablers section.