Retail & Distribution

5 Key Retail Trends to Watch for at NRF’s January 2020 Big Show

18 December 2019

4 min
Today’s retailers compete in the most complex, high-pressure consumer marketplace in history. Attracting and keeping customers’ demands that retailers “raise the bar in a world of raised expectations,” according to the National Retail Federation. That’s why January’s NRF Big Show is a must-attend event for retailers seeking insights and inspiration to drive their businesses forward. The show, set for January 12-14, 2020 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, is where retailers can access the collective thought leadership and technical innovation of the entire global retail community, to identify strategies and tools that will help them discover ideas to make their businesses stand out.

16,000

retailer attendees

More than 175

sessions

800-plus

exhibitors

Checklist for 2020 Trends

Because the Big Show is so large, it’s important not just to attend, but to approach it with a plan. One strategy is to identify the key themes that will shape the future of retail and seek out the latest thinking on how to respond.

Here are five important trends we think are worth exploring at the Big Show:

  • Digital Transformation of the Store: The renaissance of the store continues as retailers grasp that their role has changed. Retailers must identify new ways to draw customers into the store, then engage with them on a deeper level through effective use of data and devices. Check out Sunday’s Store of the future: Rethinking physical retail’s role and strategy and Tuesday’s Connecting digital consumers and stores with location intelligence, featuring key speaker Estée Lauder, as well as Gap Inc. and Chloe addressing innovation and customer obsession. Retailers can also sign up for guided retail store tours in NYC on the Saturday before the show to see ideas in action.
  • Sustainability and Social Responsibility: Consumers increasingly measure the companies with which they do business in terms of their environmental and societal impact, with an emphasis on authenticity. In fact, Forrester identifies this as a key retail theme for 2020. On Sunday and Monday, Lush, Williams-Sonoma and H&M are among those taking on this topic, while on Tuesday Chloe will address the power of women in retail leadership. Also check out this Sunday session: Trust in retail: Why sustainability, accountability and traceability are critical to brand belonging.

Cegid at NRF

We are pleased to offer retailers several opportunities to gain a deeper view of the thought leadership and best practices we have gleaned from our many global retail customers at the Big Show. Retailers can also get a firsthand look at our industry-leading solutions, including our new Distributed Order Management (DOM) solution and Mobile POS. We invite you to spend time with our experts at several curated events throughout the show:

  • A customer brunch (for clients only). Join Cegid and Viseo for a delectable New York brunch and share trends and practices. Seats are limited to 50.
  • A Cegid-sponsored retail party organized by F Founders. Join us for NRF’s biggest party and network with 300+ top retail executives. A panel discussion with leading retailers will open up the festivities. Seats are limited, so get yours today.
  • One-on-one meetings with Cegid Retail experts in our booth on Level 1 in space #1035. Join us to discuss your 2020 retail goals and share how we can support your projects.
  • Mobile POS: Mobile devices have transformed nearly every aspect of consumers’ lives, including how they engage with brands. That’s particularly true for Gen Z and Millennials, whose mobile way of life is the subject of this Monday session. Developing an effective mobile strategy, such as offering mobile POS, is rapidly becoming table stakes for retailers seeking to embrace next-gen retail; Gap will address its own approach to associate communications in a Monday session.

Mobile also plays an important role in bridging the digital/physical divide, also explored on Monday. Cegid’s Mobile POS solution leverages connected tools to help retailers boost sales and performance, increase basket size and value and offer impeccable customer service.

  • Order Orchestration: A key part of delivering a seamless and satisfying omnichannel experience is optimizing order management, selecting the best ship-from locations while minimizing cost and environmental impact. Retailers can receive lots of guidance on how to get this right by hearing other retailers’ experiences at these sessions, such as L’Oreal speaking on its own supply chain planning transformation. Order orchestration is also a top strength of Cegid’s product suite, including a new Distributed Order Management solution set for release in early 2020.

comprehensive report from IHL Group on OMS solutions cites Cegid for the scale of its technology stack, broad range of core OMS capabilities, microservices work and one of the most diverse set of architectural delivery models in the category. The study places Cegid as second in the world for the number of international OMS deployments, with over 1,000 retail clients and installations in 50 countries, and quotes Cegid as having one of the quickest installation times.

  • Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Both IoT and AI have enjoyed rising-star status in retail circles, but analysts assert they are poised to transition from emerging technologies into widespread and effective use. Expect to see these buzzwords splashed across the session agenda as well as the show floor, but take the time to look past the hype to discover the broad array of transformational use cases that may work for your brand. Check out these two sessions on Tuesday, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

 

The Big Picture

Another highlight of NRF is a series of Expo Tours of local retailers. While you’re out and about, we recommend you check out these stores for inspiration: Aesop, Chanel, Hermes, Longchamp, and Sweaty Betty. Each has several locations spread across the city, with some offering outstanding flagship stores.

Come and Meet Cegid’s team during NRF 2020 in NYC

yes, let's meet up