Retail in 2017 – A Look Forward

What is the future of retail marketing? High-touch or high tech?

Yes.

(And yes, I know we really don’t say “high tech” anymore, but the sentence doesn’t work without it.)

The reality is that both man and machine are reshaping retail. And “Retail Trends 2017,” a report by Medallion, indicates that man may have a larger role.

Digital technology has forever changed retail. But that same technology has also transformed the shopper – into an empowered, wise and wired part of the marketing mix. She seeks to collaborate with brands to create shopping experiences that are ideal for her.

The interactions she desires are driven in large part by human emotion. Digital technology is a tool, not an experience. As the trends report states, consumer-facing technology “should exist mainly to facilitate the relationship between shopper and brand.”

The Report also speaks to a new way to look at Big Data, the mainstreaming of the pop-up, and the impact of real-time social media – all in the service of the shopper.

Read the 2017 Retail Trends Report for a fresh perspective on the future of our business.