Artificial Intelligence

Technology is no longer the sole province of “IT geeks,” or even marketers and finance executives — it is also now a focal point of such operational departments as store planning, energy management, construction management and real estate.

In recognition of the huge impact technology is having on store operations, SPECS 2014 held a series of hands-on tech boot camps, with the first one devoted to design, development and facilities, the second to operational technology, and the third to social media trends and tools.

When it comes to success in retail, the old mantra of “location, location, location” has been largely replaced by “customer, customer, customer.” That was one of the themes of the SPECS workshop session, “It’s All in the Demographics.”

“Yes, it’s about demographics, but it’s more than demographics. It’s about the lifestyle embedded in the demographics,” explained Bill Stinneford, executive VP retail, Buxton, Fort Worth, Texas, which provides customer analytics for site selection, marketing and e-commerce.

By Sunil Mirani, CEO, Ugam

Lighting plays a critical role in retail, and is rapidly evolving to meet changing regulations and customer needs. Dr. Laura Prestwood Thompson, director of the TCU Center for Lighting Education, Texas Christian University, discussed how stores and restaurants in 2025 will light their interiors and looked at the technologies and trends that will impact retail lighting during the SPECS workshop session, “Lighting 2025.”

“The quality of light is key,” Thompson said. “You create an aesthetic for your brand that impacts the customer experience.”

Increasingly, retailers are using ambient lighting to impact the in-store experience. Andrew Peck of Enlighten Luminaires spoke with Chain Store Age about retail lighting trends and the rapidly expanding use of LEDs.

What are the biggest concerns when it comes to illuminating merchandise?

Retailers are most concerned about the way products look, and enhancing the shopper experience.

Where does LED lighting fit into this scenario?

Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning technology is in the midst of a dramatic evolution brought on by a variety of factors, including regulations, retailers’ needs for technological sophistication, operational and cost efficiency, and ease of implementation and use. These and other topics were discussed in the SPECS session, “Evolution, Revolution: The Future of HVAC and Refrigeration.”

Session moderator Bob Keingstein, president of Boss Facility Services, asked panelists to discuss several pointed questions focused on different key areas of the evolution of HVAC.

Who would argue that mobile has not been an absolutely transformative platform for retail? Communicating with consumers on a nearly 24/7 basis on a computing platform they embrace throughout their lifestyle has transformed retail marketing. E-commerce is a long ago metaphor, replaced almost entirely by m-commerce as smartphones and their larger cousin tablets overwhelm the old PC experience.

New York -- The White House on Thursday called on Congress to pass legislation to create a national standard that would alert consumers when their data has been hacked. It one-of-six policy recommendations that comes after a 90-day review of data and privacy.

"As organizations store more information about individuals, Americans have a right to know if that information has been stolen or otherwise improperly exposed," said the report, led by John Podesta, a top advisor to President Barack Obama.