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The Future in Retail Technology during the Coronavirus Disruption

Covid-19 has significantly impacted online retail and ecommerce strategy. This special report, from the editors of Internet Retailer, will examine the technology and trends that are shaping retail’s future. It will also addresses the technology fixes due to coronavirus, retail operation disruptions, and more.

Ad close is April 24, 2020

Feature: Technology fixes on your site because of the coronavirus

Retailers had to quickly adapt their commerce sites for changing consumer shopping behavior because of the coronavirus. Some retailers have had to adapt to more traffic and sales than usual, leading them to toggle on and off services or put limits on the number of products shoppers can order. This story will look at how retailers have updated their sites and what technology they used.

Operation disruption

Operations across the globe are facing disruption. In 2019, retailers had a major wakeup call when faced with new tariffs from the U.S. and China trade war. This caused many retailers to reevaluate their supply chain and where they source products. Now, retailers again are faced with disruption, but on a global scale with the coronavirus pandemic. The disruption started in China, but the virus has since become a factor in most online retailers’ operations, from manufacturing to their warehouse. This story will look at how retailers are adapting to the operations disruption and what technology is helping them adjust, such as technology to help monitor deliveries and shipments.

A shift in tech priorities

In February, retailers told Digital Commerce 360 that cost-effective marketing, hiring talent and increasing KPIs were their top three obstacles in 2020. Retailers cited they wanted to make investments in email marketing and personalization to boost their conversion rates. But a lot has changed in a few months. This story will discuss the trends retailers said they were looking at the start of the year and how that has shifted.

What is the latest in-store technology?

Retailers that are opening stores for the first time approach store technology differently than retailers that have been around for decades. This story will look at the new technology retailers use in stores and how retailers link their stores and ecommerce site.

Look, feel and ease of use put shoppers in a buying mood

The look and feel of a retailer’s website can make the difference between inspiring a shopper to stick around and browse or leave to find a better designed, easier-to-navigate ecommerce website. But developing a well-designed site can be complicated. Retailers have to balance sometimes competing priorities to provide clear product visuals, seamless navigation, engaging content and a design that works for mobile shoppers.