Retail businesses are looking for

New ways to engage customers

Social media to promote their business.  Businesses are using social media platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter to promote and engage with audiences of different target groups.

Predictive analysis software, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce cycle times.

Examples of these include CRM tools to help with lead generation and email marketing automation to push new product offerings out quickly.  Software tools will help measure the performance of their email marketing efforts.  They can help discover buying patterns in audience behaviors and retailers can use that to plan their next marketing investment areas. 

More efficient checkout processes
At check-out counters, online or on-site, retailers are gearing their operations to provide self-checkout counters with bar code scanning devices.  Customers prefer the flexibility to use both cash and mobile payments for their purchases. Businesses need to accept international debit cards, credit cards, and currencies to facilitate international or global shipping facilities.

Faster methods of supply
New software tools offer online accounting and invoicing to save time.  Retailers can collect pricing data and run analysis using software tools to improve their retail operations.

Retail operations at the Edge

With edge computing, retailers can maximize the usage of new IoT devices such as video cameras, RFID devices, NVR systems, barcode readers and digital signages.  Edge computing brings IT technology or data center set ups closer to where the activity takes place.  This means faster data processing and information that can be gleaned from the actual source.