Innovations in Retail

In retail, many chase the next big thing—a new style, a new way to reach consumers—triggering a frantic race to adopt. But most trends fade as fast as they appear. The real game-changers are curated habits that prove they can stand the test of time. I’ve championed social commerce as the future of retail for over a decade. In hindsight, that barely scratches the surface. It’s now a deeply ingrained consumer behavior. The imperative isn’t just to adopt it, but to evolve with it—constantly and intentionally. At HSN, social commerce was core to our strategy. We pioneered the blend of shopping and entertainment. That’s the essence: finding the sweet spot where entertainment, connection, and commerce converge. Soon after, platforms like Twitch began enabling users to both game and shop in real time, blending entertainment with commerce. Fanatics has successfully leaned into this model as well, immersing fans in live experiences while showcasing gear in action, often worn by their favorite athletes and community, turning fandom into a powerful trust signal. More recently, TikTok Shop collapsed the purchase funnel into a single scroll. It's no longer discover, then buy. Now, it’s see it, want it, buy it—seamlessly, in-platform. So, as we look ahead, how do I see this "social commerce habit" evolving? Here's what I expect: 🔹 Creator Integration is Non-Negotiable. For Gen Z, in particular, TikTok Shop has become a primary discovery engine. They trust their favorite creators to genuinely try products and offer honest feedback. The more brands lean into authentic partnerships with creators, the more trust they build in this integrated shopping experience. It’s about relationship-driven commerce. 🔹 Embrace a Zero-Click World. Speed and simplicity are paramount. Consumers need to be able to see, buy, and receive as fast as humanly possible. This means minimal clicks, minimal friction, and no moments for reconsideration. It's about instant gratification and removing all barriers between desire and ownership. 🔹 Elevate Live Shopping. This is a powerful return to the personal connection and real-time interaction that defined the best of traditional retail. Shoppable videos and live sessions transform social media into a personalized shopping aisle. Imagine experts demonstrating products, showing how they fit or can be styled, all in real-time, tailored to your interests. It brings humanity back to digital retail. 🔹 Unlock the Power of Virtual Try-Ons. A longstanding hurdle in e-commerce is "try before you buy." AI-enabled virtual try-on features solves that, making online shopping more immersive and convenient. This translates directly into higher conversion rates, deeper engagement, and customers spending more valuable time interacting with your brand digitally. It’s time to stop treating social commerce like a trend. This is commerce, full stop. It’s a fundamental consumer behavior that belongs at the center of every modern retail strategy.

If more of your store sales start on TikTok lately, you might wanna read this. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘦. The checkout happens in-store. But the sale happens everywhere else. Here's the reality: This year 60%+, and in 2027, 70% of retail sales will be digitally influenced. I can't emphasize this enough; here's what most brands miss—digital influence isn't just about online sales. It's about shaping every moment before the customer even walks into your store. L'Oréal cracked this code: 100M+ AR try-on sessions driving real conversions. 31 brands orchestrating seamless experiences across 72 countries. No.1 in beauty influencer marketing (29% market share), 20-80% higher conversion rates through enhanced digital experiences. The new customer journey isn't linear—it's layered: - They discover you on social - Research you through reviews and UGC - Try your product virtually through AR - Get retargeted with personalized content - Finally purchase in-store (feeling confident they're making the right choice) Every touchpoint matters, and every interaction influences the final decision. The brands winning today aren't just selling products—they're orchestrating experiences across owned, paid, and earned media that guide customers from curiosity to checkout. Digital discovery is increasingly pay-to-play and shoppers are paying attention. ++ Tactical Recommendations for CPG / FMCG Brands ++ 1. Beyond just having perfect, high SOV product pages, create discovery ecosystems. - Optimize for "zero-moment-of-truth" searches. - Activate shoppable content at scale. - Leverage user-generated content as social proof. Brands that do these see a 35% higher conversion rate from digital touchpoints to in-store purchases. 2. Connect digital engagement directly to retail execution. - Geo-target digital campaigns to drive foot traffic - Create "store-specific" digital content CPG brands using geo-targeted social ads see a 23% higher in-store sales lift in targeted markets. 3. Most important one; stop flying blind—measure digital influence on offline sales. - Implement unique promo codes for each digital touchpoint to track conversion paths. - Use customer surveys at point of purchase. - Partner with retailers on shared data insights Brands with proper attribution see 15-25% improvement in marketing ROI within 12 months. 𝗧𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 ecommert® 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝟭𝟰,𝟲𝟬𝟬+ 𝗖𝗣𝗚, 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘁® : 𝗖𝗣𝗚 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿. #CPG #FMCG #AI #ecommerce Procter & Gamble PepsiCo Unilever The Coca-Cola Company Nestlé Mondelēz International Kraft Heinz Ferrero Mars Colgate-Palmolive Henkel Bayer Haleon Kenvue The HEINEKEN Company Carlsberg Group Philips Samsung Electronics Panasonic North America

I was bitten hard by the Retail Bug a long time ago. In 2025, I have developed some kind of infection ? I've led retail at Disney and Claire's, consulted globally, and taught countless retail leaders. I've never seen this big of a shift or more challenging markeplace. How do Leaders keep up today?? Top 10 Trends + Reality Check: 1/ AI Isn't Just Hype—It's the New Profit Engine ↳ The winners are using AI for prediction, not just automation ↳ Brands with AI-driven supply chains are seeing 30-40% less waste and higher margins 2/ Sustainability = Survival ↳ 78% of Gen Z won't buy from brands without clear environmental metrics ↳ The most successful brands are making sustainability profitable, not just possible 3/ Social Commerce is the New Retail HQ ↳ TikTok and Instagram drive 45% of discovery for new brands ↳ The best content doesn't feel like selling - it feels like sharing 4/ Community-First Licensing Wins ↳ The era of "slap a logo on it" is dead ↳ Failed licensing deals down 40% when starting with community input 5/ Physical Retail = Content Studio 2.0 ↳ Stores that double as content studios see 3x social engagement ↳ Every store associate is now a content creator 6/ Supply Chain Transparency is the New Currency ↳ 65% of consumers check product origins before buying ↳ The most valuable supply chains are the most visible ones 7/ Cross-Border is the New Local ↳ 82% of growth brands now sell internationally ↳ Cultural relevance beats geographical presence every time 8/ Real Personalization Finally Delivers ↳ AI-driven personalization driving 40% higher customer lifetime value ↳ The best personalization feels invisible 9/ Community Crushes Campaigns ↳ Brands with active communities spend 60% less on acquisition ↳ Your best marketing team? Your customers 10/ Speed Wins (But Purpose Scales) ↳ Trend-to-shelf time cut from 6 months to 6 weeks ↳ The sweet spot: Fast execution + Clear purpose Real-World Success: Take Lush Cosmetics - they've doubled down on their packaging-free stores and saw a 35% increase in store visits. Look at Sephora's AI skin analysis tool that boosted customer satisfaction by 42% while reducing returns. The Bottom Line: The retail winners of tomorrow aren't just selling products—they're building movements with passionate communities, intelligent data, and authentic purpose. Your Turn: Which trend are you implementing in your business right now? What unexpected results have you seen? Share your experience in the comments.👇 ➕ Follow Jim Fielding for more insights on retail innovation and authentic leadership ♻️ Repost to your community

How can retailers activate in-store experiences that can scale efficiently and measure incremental impact? 🤝 In-store media requires cross-functional collaboration across marketing, merchandising, and retail media teams. Merchant alignment is essential to ensure in-store media supports broader category goals, promotions, and pricing strategies. However, fragmentation between teams often leads to inconsistent execution. 💰 High upfront investment in digital screens, infrastructure, and maintenance makes scalability a challenge. Retailers must balance technology costs with expected ROI. Additionally, ensuring planogram compliance and optimizing store layouts for maximum visibility and shopper impact requires coordination across teams. 📊 In-store media success is evaluated through POS data, sales lift analysis, customer sentiment surveys, and match market tests. These methods help brands understand the impact on purchasing behavior, optimize budgets, and refine in-store strategies. 🐢 Crawl Phase: Retailers should pilot technologies, gather initial data, and build a scalable business model while training teams and refining measurement approaches. Early-stage collaboration with merchants ensures that in-store media aligns with overall store operations and merchandising priorities. 🚶 Walk Phase: Use data insights to optimize content, improve store-level targeting, and scale successful pilots. Refining planograms and integrating in-store media with category management strategies help maximize effectiveness. Introduce advanced features like interactive displays, mobile integration, and AI-driven recommendations to enhance engagement. 🏃 Run Phase: Fully integrate online and in-store strategies to create seamless in-store experiences that can measure omnichannel impact. Collaborate closely with merchants, store operations, and category managers to ensure store layouts, promotions, and digital touchpoints work together.

Is the era of the Google search results page fading for discovery? The data suggests a rapid shift is underway. We're seeing a seismic shift in how information is discovered - moving rapidly from keyword searches yielding lists of links towards a conversational AI delivering direct answers (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Gemini, etc.). This isn't a slow evolution; it's happening fast. Consider this: Adobe Analytics recently reported a 1200% YoY increase in traffic from gen AI sources to US retail websites. While this is retail data, view it as a leading indicator. This behavioral change - seeing answers, not just links - will ripple across all customer journeys, B2C and B2B alike. I've heard from multiple B2B startups that they are getting more inbound from ChatGPT than Google Search. What does this mean for the customer journey? * Discovery & Search: Buyers won't just browse websites. They'll increasingly ask AI models for comparisons, summaries, and recommendations. * From Answer to Action: This isn't just about information retrieval. With AI agents like OpenAI's Operator, Google's Project Mariner, and Amazon's "Buy with Me", we're seeing the potential for AI to move directly from discovery to research to purchase. The Implications: * For Marketers: The traditional customer journey playbook needs a significant update. How do you ensure your solution is surfaced, understood, and trusted by the AI? Getting discovered in an answer-first world requires new strategies, likely involving structured data on both 1st party and 3rd party sites taking advantage of protocols like the emerging Model Context Protocol (MCP) to effectively communicate to the models. * For Founders: There's an opportunity to build the next generation digital experience platform. We need solutions purpose-built for this new reality across Customer Experience technology categories - consider that in a post AI world the next customer may by AI, which means leveraging conversational interfaces, agent capabilities, and protocols like MCP. It isn't just about new features; it's about rethinking the entire go-to-market motion in an AI-world.

In a world where retail often feels like it’s on a perpetual clearance rack, Leap is proving that the physical store isn’t dead—it just needed a smarter way to live. The Chicago-based retail tech platform just secured $20M in fresh funding, with DNX Ventures - US and Tribeca Venture Partners doubling down on the idea that brick-and-mortar, powered by data, still has plenty of tread on its soles. Congratulations to Amish Tolia and Jared Golden for taking retail’s oldest playbook and turning it into something modern brands can actually use. Leap isn’t just building stores. They’re building ecosystems. Their platform gives #DTCbrands the tools to open and operate physical locations without taking on the headache and risk that usually comes with signing a lease. Think of it like Shopify for IRL. With over 100 stores in 12 tier-one U.S. markets (and counting), Leap is offering premium brands like Ring Concierge, Godiva Chocolatier, and Malbon Golf a turnkey way to connect with customers in the real world—because there’s still something irreplaceable about walking into a store and feeling the brand come to life. This isn’t just about opening doors, though. Leap’s secret sauce is the way they integrate #dataanalytics, #omnichannelmanagement, and #customerrelationship tools into every square inch of their stores. They’re not guessing what works—they know. When you can harness first-party data to fine-tune everything from #inventory to #customerexperience, you don’t just create a store. You create a learning machine. That’s where Leap stands out: their ability to help brands iterate and scale, all while keeping real estate risks in check. And with Karen Katz, former CEO of Neiman Marcus, joining their board, it’s clear Leap is doubling down on retail expertise that’s as sharp as their tech. For Leap, this $20M infusion isn’t just about adding more stores to their portfolio. It’s about scaling their platform to match the ambitions of the brands they partner with. The company plans to push into 130-150 locations this year, refining their ability to deliver retail-as-a-service at enterprise-grade levels. And with profitability already in the bag, they’ve got the runway to experiment and innovate without being tethered to VC lifelines. The bigger picture here? Leap isn’t just a company—it’s a case study in what happens when tech and retail actually sync. While the rest of the industry talks about “digital transformation,” Leap’s out here showing that digital and physical can be seamless, symbiotic, and scalable. The result? A retail model that’s as dynamic as the brands they serve. #Startups #StartupFunding #Retail #RetailTech #RealEstate #RealEstateTech #Branding #PhysicalLocation #Technology #Innovation #VentureCapital #TechEcosystem #StartupEcosystem

It was the best of search, it was the worst of search. It was the age of instant answers, it was the age of disappearing links. It was the epoch of personalization, it was the epoch of lost discovery. It was the season of AI-driven clarity, it was the season of algorithmic opacity. It was the spring of conversational commerce, it was the winter of ten blue links. According to Adobe Analytics, U.S. retail websites saw a 1,200% increase in traffic from generative AI sources between July 2024 and February 2025. During the 2024 holiday season alone, this figure jumped 1,300% year-over-year, with Cyber Monday traffic spiking 1,950% compared to 2023. Consumer adoption is driving the shift. A survey of 5,000 U.S. shoppers found that 39% have used generative AI for online shopping, with 53% planning to do so this year. Users rely on AI for product research (55%), recommendations (47%), deal-hunting (43%), gift ideas (35%), product discovery (35%), and shopping list creation (33%). AI-generated traffic isn’t just growing—it’s more engaged than traditional sources. Visitors spend 8% more time on-site, view 12% more pages per visit, and have a 23% lower bounce rate than those from search or social media. Conversational AI interfaces are improving consumer confidence and making online shopping more intuitive. That said, conversion rates for AI-driven traffic still lag behind traditional sources by 9%, but the gap is closing. In July 2024, the difference was 43%, signaling growing consumer trust in AI-assisted purchases. Another key insight: AI-assisted shopping is happening on desktops, not mobile. Between November 2024 and February 2025, 86% of AI-driven traffic came from desktop users—suggesting that consumers prefer larger screens for complex, AI-guided shopping experiences. While the numbers are compelling, they only hint at what’s coming. AI-driven agents won’t just assist shoppers—they’ll shop for them. The way consumers find, evaluate, and purchase products is shifting fast, and this data is just beginning to tell the story. -s

Grateful to be featured in the "Shoptalk Hot Takes" interview by Blenheim Chalcot and ClickZ.com alongside George Looker to unpack omnichannel commerce. 5 key takeaways and tactics from my conversation: 1. Design for Customer Continuity, Not Just Channel Expansion 💡 71% of customers expect brands to personalize interactions across every touchpoint. Tactical: Map out customer journey across channels, then design experiences that recognize and reward continuity—cart persistence, loyalty rewards, browsing history sync, etc. 2. Build the Infrastructure: Unify Data Streams Across All Touchpoints 🧠 Data fragmentation = missed opportunity Tactical: Integrate POS, e-commerce, mobile, social, and marketplace data into a centralized data lake or unified commerce platform. 3. Establish a Single Source of Truth for Customer Profiles 🔍 Brands with unified profiles see up to 2x better campaign performance. Tactical: Implement Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) to consolidate behavioral, transactional, and engagement data into unified customer profiles. 4. Partner Strategically for Scale, Not Just Stack ⚙️ A bloated tech stack doesn’t equal agility As I noted, Retailers are getting sharper about which partners can scale with them. Ecosystem efficiency matters more than ever. Tactical Step: Audit your tech stack and partnerships consistently. Prioritize partners that offer extensibility, future-proofing, and proven omnichannel success. 5. Measure What Matters: Unified KPIs Across Commerce 📈 You can’t optimize what you don’t measure holistically Tactical: Align your analytics stack to report holistically across channels—tie marketing to merchandising, CX to LTV, and inventory to revenue. 🧠 Bottom line: think holistically, move strategically, and build ecosystems that scale experience with agility, not just transactions. Complete list in comment 👇 #ecommerce #omnichannel #unifiedcommerce

🪩 𝗔𝗜, 𝗔𝗥 & 𝟯𝗗 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗻—𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽? Tech isn’t just touching fashion & beauty—it’s changing everything. Brands and professionals that embrace it will win in 2025. Those that don’t? By 2026, AI won’t just be a tool—it will be your competition. As a 20+ year Global Beauty & Fashion Executive + Analyst (LVMH, The Lane Crawford Joyce Group, etc), I’ve seen trends come and go. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁. __ 🚀 𝟯 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗜𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲 🔹 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝘆-𝗢𝗻𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝘁 → AR-powered try-ons are eliminating guesswork, reducing returns, and boosting conversions like L'Oréal Burberry. But, next up is having VTO that fits to YOU. 🔹 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝘁-𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 → → CES showed LED masks & robotic nail machines. Salon-quality beauty is now home-accessible. Consumer Technology Association Nimble Beauty Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare 🔹 𝟯𝗗 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗟𝘂𝘅𝘂𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 → Nike Coperni Paris LVMH are leading the charge in on-demand couture & sneakers. Personalized. Sustainable. Exclusive. __ 💡 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: ✅ Consumers expect hyper-personalization and AI powered experiences are the game changer. ✅ Retail must be PHYSICAL + DIGITAL. It's an AND conversation NOT and OR. __ 👇 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 (𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀) 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁? 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸. __ ➕ Follow Janey Park & The Digital Runway for expert takes on Beauty + Fashion Tech & AI from a Marketing & Business POV. ♻️ 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 __ 📥 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴—𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁? 🔗 Get the 2025 Digital Runway Report & YouTube breakdown in comments. 💡 The full report covers 2024 Recap + 2025’s biggest shifts—AI fashion, Wearable Fashion Tech, Immersive Retail & more. __ #FashionTech #BeautyTech #WearableTech #RetailTech #Fashion #Beauty #Innovation #3DPrinting #AIFashion #AI #AugmentedReality #AR

People tune into people. Not just companies. Creators impact every stage of the buying journey: Awareness: Creators introduce products to their engaged audiences Consideration: Their authentic reviews + comparisons build trust Purchase: Creators enable 1-click shopping directly on social Retention: Their ongoing content keeps customers engaged The truth is, we now live in a creator-led economy. One-off influencer "campaigns" no longer cut it. To win today, brands must: 1. Activate creators at every funnel stage  2. Amplify creator content as social proof 3. Enable creator-driven purchases 4. Invest in "always-on" creators The creator economy is projected to hit $500 billion by 2027. So don't fight this creator-led reality. Embrace it. Make creators an always-on pillar of your marketing strategy. Not just for awareness, but for acquisition, conversion, and retention. That's how you build brand fans for life. Creators are redefining commerce as we know it. Is your brand ready?