Marketers have long used sentiment analysis to target offers in the digital domain, but a new generation of demand forecasting capabilities is extending its use into merchandise planning. Where do you see the opportunity and limits in using sentiment analysis to help gauge demand for future product assortments?

In a typical RSR “Selling Technology Value to Retailers” (STV) session, we can have 25 technology sales representatives in a room. We’ll start the session with round-the-table introductions and the two questions we ask are, “Have you ever worked for a retailer?” and “Why did you leave?” How does IT talent in the retail industry compare to other industries?

For companies aiming to bring solutions to market that enable retailers to get ahead of consumers using mobile devices, look to cases where retailers have had mobile “happen to them,” without much control of how mobility is being used in the shopping experience. What do you think is the most important mobile channel capability from the perspective of retailers?

In-store employees are bringing a knife to a gun fight. Customers are walking in off the street armed with knowledge and technology, while store managers are tethered to back room tasks and associates flounder to meet consumers’ needs. What do you think of the benefits and practicality of establishing Wi-Fi networks and equipping employees with wireless devices?

Fearful of cautious consumers this holiday season, retailers may be setting themselves up for failure in the critical Q4 period by keeping inventories too lean. What are some strategies for avoiding stock outs in a lean inventory climate?

RSR would like to present a new model for successful retailing – The Engaged, Customer-centric Retailer. This model is the logical follow-on to TECC, or Technology-enabled Customer Centricity. In which quadrants in the TECCR model do you think most retailers are most engaged?

According to a new RSR Research report, retailers recognize that workforce automation requires much more focus on change management than typical retail technology implementations. But the report finds that such automation is now more important than ever. What do you think has been holding back workforce automation at retail?

There’s a business axiom that has been around so long, it’s almost cliche: You get what you measure. And while Retail Paradox recently explored how same-store sales have become an inadequate measure of retail performance in light of the rise of multi-channel synergies, retailers may also have to redefine how they measure their people as well. Do you think how merchants are measured should be redefined in light of activities such as pricing optimization, merchandise localization and cross-channel shopping?