Omnichannel

U.S. retailers can breathe a sigh of relief. After a gloomy start to 2017 – where store closures and bankruptcy reports dominated the headlines – retailers have turned a corner, coming through the strongest holiday season in years.

The need to personalize the customer experience is prompting retailers’ increasing investments in artificial intelligence.

Amazon continues to leverage its purchase of Whole Foods Market, tying in one of the online giant’s popular promotions with incentives to shop in Whole Foods stores.

Deep-discount grocer Aldi is winning over customers as it continues to grow at a torrid pace.

As more purchases are made online and via mobile devices, more customers are opting for person-to-person (P2P) payment services.

Office Depot debuted an updated store format that reflects the chain’s ongoing transformation from a traditional office supplies retailer to a services-led shopping experience with a broader business services platform.

The majority of shoppers are expected to be buying some of their groceries online within five years.

Paula Rosenblum, co-founder and managing partner at Retail Systems Research, spoke with Chain Store Age about the potential of Blockchain, and what it means for the retail industry.