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NRF 2019: Retailers Will Look to Tackle an Increasingly Tech-Savvy World at the ‘Big Show’

The annual retail conference will explore how data analytics, machine learning, mobility and omnichannel innovation will transform the customer experience.

Juliet Van Wagenen

Juliet is the senior web editor for StateTech and HealthTech magazines. In her six years as a journalist she has covered everything from aerospace to indie music reviews — but she is unfailingly partial to covering technology.

These days, retail isn’t just in stores, it’s everywhere. On phones, online, in your living room — call out to your Google assistant and it can help you order by voice — and that means retailers need to be everywhere at once as well. Meanwhile, as innovations from more streamlined inventory management to cashierless stores take the spotlight, retailers have a lot to contend with.

These challenges, solutions and more will certainly make their way into the National Retail Federation’s 2019 Big Show, which will take place in New York City from Jan. 13-15. BizTech will be on the ground covering the conference and the many ways in which retail technology is evolving.

Throughout the three-day event, big names in retail will appear alongside tech vendors to underline challenges and outline solutions. Kroger and Starbucks will team up with tech giant Microsoft to peer into the future of intelligent retail. Tech-forward online retail giant zulily will appear on stage with NRF Director of Retail and Consumer Insights Katherine Cullen and IBM to outline automation efforts and advantages. Meanwhile, several retailers will seek to unify the omnichannel experience for customers, among them Walmart and Mastercard, who will explore how analytics can drive omnichannel innovation.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Follow @BizTechMagazine on Twitter for continued NRF 2019 coverage.

These are just a few of the sessions attendees can look forward to, alongside panels on shopping apps, machine learning, enhanced video surveillance, and talent acquisition in a digital world.

Keep this page bookmarked for articles from the event. Follow us on Twitter at @BizTechMagazine, or the official conference Twitter account, @NRFBigShow, and join the conversation using the hashtag #NRF2019.

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