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I remember something a retailer once said to me more than 25 years ago, long before digital mattered. It’s still true today: If the product’s not right, nothing matters. If the product is right, everything matters. That everything now includes staying ahead of the consumer digitally. We’ve gone from a generation that saw technology as a skill to one that doesn’t see it at all — it’s so natural it’s become instinct. This shopper lives in a world where digital doesn’t just define shopping habits — it defines the way shoppers live.

From its artisan-looking shops and grocery-styled product displays to its ethical sourcing and activist ethos, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics has always marched to the beat of a different drummer.

How will retailers fare in 2016? Very well, according to experienced market watchers.

“We expect core retail sales to grow 5.3% in 2016,” says Scott Hoyt, senior director of consumer economics for Moody’s Analytics, a research firm based in West Chester, Pennsylvania. (Core retail sales exclude volatile revenues from auto sales and gas stations.) That is notably faster than the 4.2% rate anticipated when 2015 sales are finally tallied. The 2015 experience was, again, slightly better than the 3.9% growth of 2014.

For the retailing industry, 2015 was another year of seismic shifts as merchants continued to keep pace with the evolving digital landscape. It was also a busy year of executive comings and goings. Here is my pick of industry executives — all new to their positions — to keep an eye on in 2016.

Same-store sales declined 11% at Hhgregg during the company’s third quarter ended Dec. 31 with the retailer of appliances, electronics and furniture citing competitive pressures as the source of weakness.

The Bon-Ton Stores is back with a popular promotion that increases store traffic, generates sales, saves customers money and benefits the communities where it operates 270 department stores.

On the heels of adding new security features to its Iris connected home device, Lowe’s is further expanding its presence in the connected home market.

All was not quiet on New Year’s Day for online retailers and their customers.

According to Verizon Retail Index data, broadband traffic attributed to e-commerce shopping activity reached new heights over the New Year’s holiday weekend (Jan. 1-3). E-commerce traffic posted highs of 28%, 32% and 36% respectively above average daily levels on those three days – a similar pattern to the prior year. Notably, Sunday posted the highest activity of the season to date which is consistent with a trend identified by Verizon during the 2014 season.

For luxury watch retailer Tourneau, brick-and-mortar historically took precedence over online operations.

The New York-based retailer is known for having long-tenured associates with deep knowledge. This emphasis on the in-store experience often left digital commerce overlooked among the company’s strategic priorities.

However, recognizing that the modern consumer now expects a seamlessly blended experience that crosses the physical and digital channels, Tourneau is entering the omnichannel world with help from Demandware.

Marsh Supermarkets, a regional grocer with 73 stores in Indiana and Ohio, needs to know its customers especially well to compete with larger supermarket chains.

To that end, Indianapolis-based Marsh is partnering with targeted marketing software vendor inStream to provide personalized, targeted offers on the front of consumer receipts. InStream drives customer engagement and sales via personalized targeting based on customer-specific purchase data.