Field Trip

Consumers are increasingly turning to mobile to conduct research, price compare, and purchase products. According to Forrester, over one-third of total U.S. retail sales are influenced by a mobile device during the buying process. As e-commerce continues to grow, will consumers still have an appetite for in-store experiences? Moving forward, how can physical stores coexist with digital stores? To answer these questions, we took a glimpse into the future with The Retail Prophet, Doug Stephens, one of the world’s foremost retail industry futurists. Doug is the author of Reengineering Retail and the Retail Revival, a keynote speaker, and a business advisor for today’s most innovative retail brands, such as Home Depot, Walmart, Disney, and Google. Doug chatted with us about how the purpose of the physical store is shifting away from being a distribution center, towards a media experience, and how elevating the role of the retail associate is a key component to differentiating your customer experience.