A new survey suggests that in-store retail tech could be a major factor in retailer success. Is this accurate to say?

Groceryshop 2025 suggested a new baseline was being established. Is this the case?

DSW is pushing dual tech initiatives, somewhat off the beaten path. Will this pair of efforts succeed?

Mobile POS solutions are again top-of-mind in retail. Will they actually gain a serious foothold this time around?

Garima Singh elaborated on the importance of considering the balance between tech incorporation and a people-first approach in retail. Where is resistance to digitization most obvious?

Amazon.com announced last week that it plans to permanently close eight of its 28 Amazon Go convenience stores. The first Go opened in January 2018 and featured the debut of its “Just Walk Out” technology.

Grocery self-checkout has long had its detractors, and the technology could soon face legal hurdles that may affect how stores use it.  What do you think of the proposed limit on self-checkout registers and discounts for customers who use self-checkout being considered in Rhode Island?

A Microsoft survey finds employees looking for a greater say when it comes to new technology investments and initiatives driving digital transformation efforts. Should employees have more say when it comes to digital initiatives?

Retail has already witnessed some major forms of automation implemented at scale, and a major player in the segment recently laid out a tight timeline along which people should expect more. Do you believe that 65 percent of all retail work can be automated within the next few years and, if so, what would that mean for people working in the industry?

Walmart is closing three technology hubs and requiring workers to relocate to primary office locations in San Bruno, CA, and at the retailer’s headquarters in Bentonville, AR. Will Walmart’s decision to close three tech hubs, relocate workers and require them to report to the office at least twice a week increase productivity within its IT group?

Instacart has become a major part of how many Americans shop for groceries online. Now it is moving ahead with plans to become a fixture of how they shop in stores, as well.  Is there significant demand for scan and pay apps?

Wegmans last September reluctantly discontinued use of its popular SCAN self-checkout app because thieves were exploiting the technology. The family-owned chain is now testing smart cart technology that they hope can replace the SCAN app without the security concerns that came with it. Will self-checkout technology become a more prominent feature in retail stores over the next five years?

Ron Margulis thinks that if a technology company could capture the essence of a merchant in every sense of the word, they would have something truly unique to offer food retailers. A genie in a retail bottle. What technology innovations can best help supermarket operators engage their customers?

Ron Margulis with Randy Edeker, executive chairman, and CEO Jeremy Gosch of Hy-Vee, at the recent FMI Midwinter conference in Orlando. Rather than ask about operations, competition or financials, he focused on tech and the customer experience. What are the biggest challenges and opportunities facing Hy-Vee and other regional supermarket chains?

The business models of many retail businesses have been unsustainable for years and all it took was the pandemic to make that undeniably clear. Is there strategic value in retailers and restaurants reassessing their business models on an ongoing basis?

A new survey finds retailers increasingly fixated on cost efficiencies around last-mile deliveries amid rising inflation and fuel costs. Where do you see the biggest opportunities to drive down costs in last-mile delivery?

The U.S. may or may not experience a recession in the coming year, but in either case retailers should be strategizing and hiring with the era that follows the economic dip in mind, according to Dr. Ira Kalish, chief global economist at Deloitte. Do you agree with Dr. Kalish’s advice that retailers should prepare for a post-downturn recovery in their hiring, spending and strategizing?

In an employment landscape with a lot of turnover, PepsiCo has begun investing in technology and automation and operational changes to keep its workers happy, fulfilled and on-board. What processes do you see companies streamlining with technology to make for better employee experiences?

Self-checkout may be quick and convenient, but it is not uncommon for retailers to find that the technology allows an unacceptable level of shrink. To combat the problem, some vendors have been building solutions utilizing computer vision. Is technology the answer to reducing shrink at self-checkout stands?

After ramping up efforts to reduce friction in the online shopping experience over the pandemic, retailers are now reportedly focusing their investments on the in-store payment process. Will scan & go, smart carts, mobile payments or any other alternative payment method gain significant traction in 2023?

Throughout the U.S., a number of new Amazon Fresh stores have been built out, but are just sitting there, leading some to wonder if Amazon is quietly backing away from the Just Walk Out grocery concept. Do you see Amazon Fresh’s stalled openings as a temporary retrenchment or a sign Amazon may be reassessing the concept’s approach?

Laid-off workers from Meta, Google, Twitter and other tech hubs are creating a rare opportunity for old-school sectors such as retail to snag skilled talent and accelerate digital plans. Do you see the layoffs in the tech sector creating a near-term or long-term recruiting opportunity for retailers?

Amazon recently installed Just Walk Out (JWO) at a grocery retailer it does not own for the first time. 2023 will see even more buzz around the technology. Do you see Amazon’s Just Walk Out and similar checkout-free shopping technologies making a significant breakthrough in 2023?

As theft from stores continues to be a big problem for Walmart, one report says both employees and customers are pointing to one factor as a particular enabler for shoplifters. How much of a role do you think self-checkout plays in the overall shrink problem?

If you watched the most recent James Bond movie, you know how it ended and therefore understand some changes are on the horizon for upcoming features. Retail barcodes are on a similar glide path, with big changes ahead for 2027 that, interestingly, are focused on a familiar “Q” as well. What implications exist for retailers and vendors as they prepare for Q codes?

Customers are looking for solutions that get them in and out of the store quickly and effectively this holiday season, according to a new study. How can retailers speed up shopping trips for customers this holiday season without sacrificing service?

Macy’s recently announced that it has carved out roughly one million square feet across 35 stores to efficiently fulfill online orders in local markets at a reduced cost. How do you see Macy’s semi-automated store-level and large warehouse fulfillment centers working together?

New university research explores how grocers can take advantage of in-store cameras employing advanced artificial intelligence technologies to read facial expressions — raising an eyebrow, opening eyes, smiling — to enhance store layouts. What do you think of the potential benefits to store layout design of using facial recognition technologies?

Few, if any, of the transactions BrainTrust Panelist Bob Amster has witnessed on a wide array of systems have been frictionless. Each has an interruption of some form. Where does grocery self-checkout currently fall short?

Demonstrating the potential of adding smell to virtual reality, researchers led by Stockholm University recently created a “wine tasting game” in which the user smells wine in a virtual wine cellar and gets points if their guess on aromas in each wine is correct. What would adding smell to virtual reality tech mean to retail?

Technology is everywhere in retail today, but some big retailers say there is not enough, according to a new survey. Do you believe big retailers are still lagging in their implementation of technology?

Nordstrom last week announced that Edmond Mesrobian, its chief technology and information officer since 2018, is stepping down, adding credence to the perception that turnover remains high for information technology executives. What’s the reason for the apparent high turnover rates for CTOs, CIOs and other IT executives?

Walmart’s strategy for owning the last mile has come into clearer focus with news that the retailer has acquired the robotics automation specialist Alert Innovation. What will Walmart’s acquisition of Alert Innovation mean for its last mile fulfillment?

Instacart has unveiled Connected Stores, a bundle of six Instagram-linked technologies aiming to combine the convenience, speed and personalization of online grocery shopping with the inspiration and discovery that happens in physical stores. Does Instacart’s Connected Stores suite appear to go a long way in bridging the online and offline grocery shopping experience?

Kroger is introducing a temperature-controlled electronic cart to speed up its curbside fulfillment. What do you see as the biggest challenges that retailers face with curbside pickup and how can technology address these?

Walmart says it is leveling up its virtual try-on technology in an effort to put its customers in clothing that fits their bodies right off the rack. Will Walmart’s upgraded try-on technology inspire shoppers to purchase more clothing?

Wegmans is ending the use of its SCAN app, saying that it could no longer afford the losses associated with the app as shoplifters exploited the technology. Is Wegmans’ experience with customers using its self-scanning tech to steal an outlier in retail or is it similar to the experience in other stores?

Many retailers saw dollar sales slow and profit margins drop over the first six months of the year and some have responded to this situation by cutting back on capital expenditures. Should retailers currently struggling with sales and profits seek to increase or decrease their capital expenditures at this time?

Shoppers at some Target locations can now get a 10-minute manicure from a robot. The service has been getting a boost in popularity, thanks to videos posted on TikTok. Do you see robotic manicures as being helpful in drawing customers to retail stores?

Many European restaurants use table-side credit card authorization terminals, irrespective of type or level of service and price points. These devices have yet to approach critical mass in the U.S. Do you expect table-side credit card authorization terminals to become commonplace in U.S. restaurants?

Amazon.com on Friday announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire iRobot, the maker of the Roomba vacuum cleaner, in an all-cash transaction valued around $1.7 billion. What do you think is the strategy behind Amazon’s deal to acquire iRobot?

Ulta Beauty has become the latest retailer to officially launch a digital innovation venture fund. The fund will invest $20 million in startups “unlocking new technology that fuels greater discovery, personalization, and convenience.” What’s driving the apparent trend of retailers establishing venture funds to invest in digital startups?

The Texas grocery powerhouse H-E-B is piloting a new form of self-checkout at one location that might remind shoppers of a trip to the airport. Do you see the Fast Scan self-checkout that H-E-B is piloting having any advantage over other options on the market?

In mid-June, The Home Depot handed out more than 125,000 “hdPhones,” or newfangled mobile devices, to store associates to help assist and speed customers’ journeys. Are mobile devices assigned to store associates elevating the customer experience or falling short of promises?

Best Buy is today opening a new digital-first, small box store concept that it believes will change the way consumers shop for the products it sells. Do you expect customers to respond favorably to the shopping experience offered in Best Buy’s new small format store in Monroe, NC?

Hasbro has announced a new personalization platform, Hasbro Selfie Series, that employs 3D-printing to let consumers create a collector-grade six-inch action figure in their likeness for $60. Will Hasbro’s ability to produce a personalized action figure for $60 be a breakthrough for 3D-printing?

Gen-Z is expected to lead the creation of the metaverse, drawn by the allure of gaming, but some surveys indicate that even digital natives need to be convinced of the value of visiting virtual worlds. Are marketers relying too much on young gamers to establish the metaverse or is gaming the path to building interest?

Amazon has introduced the newest version of its Dash Cart, a smart shopping cart that enables customers to skip a store’s physical checkouts and go right out the door. What are the reasons that motivate people to use — and to not use — smart carts when they shop?

Amazon has introduced a new Store Analytics offering that taps its cashier-free checkout technologies to provide insights into the in-store performance of vendors’ products and ad campaigns.  What do you think of the value of store analytics tied to Just Walk Out technology for brands as well as for Amazon or stores licensing the technology?

Supermarket retailers are faced with a huge labor challenge. The explosion of ecommerce is amplifying this by creating the need for more order pickers to manually fulfill e-grocery orders from stores. What are the best strategies and tactics for grocery retailers when bringing in automation to replace manual online order fulfillment at the store level?