Over 20,000 attendees gathered at McCormick Place in Chicago on June 25-27 for RetailX. RetailX is the co-location of the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition (IRCE), GlobalShop, and RFID Journal LIVE!
Doug Stephens, founder of The Retail Prophet, kicked off this year’s show with his keynote address, which focused on the future of retail, including the importance of data, augmented reality (AR), mixed reality, and artificial intelligence (AI). “Everything about where, why, and how we shop is changing,” said Stephens.
A glimpse of the GlobalShop @ RetailX 2019 show floor. Photo courtesy of GlobalShop.
“Retail is changing” was a theme that echoed throughout the course of the three-day show. And it was certainly on full display in the 2019 IIDA GlobalShop Product Design Competition, which allowed for GlobalShop @ RetailX exhibitors to submit their new-to-market products that will help retailers power their business forward in a rapidly changing commercial landscape.
The Best of Competition Winner was a masterful example of this future retail experience. The Kinetic Retail Display Platform by Converge Retail brings the richness of online shopping in-store.
This laterally-sliding, interactive tablet enables customers to compare product specs, watch video tutorials, and read customer reviews. This ability to deeply research and compare products available both in-store and online keeps customers in the retailer’s ecosystem, whether they purchase off the shelf or make in-aisle choices from the online inventory.
The GlobalShop Booth Design Competition’s Best of Show award winner, Artitalia Group. Photo courtesy of GlobalShop.
Additionally, the GlobalShop Booth Design Competition’s Best of Show award went to Artitalia Group, a display and fixtures manufacturer based in Montreal. Artitalia Group’s meticulously-designed black and white booth was a work of art, inspired by 3D graffiti, that utilized vignettes to create different perspectives, providing a mind exercise to booth visitors.
On Thursday, June 26, IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA, and Ray Tareghian, four-decade visual merchandising manager for Burberry, kicked off the day’s pop-up stage activities with a conversation about the future of retail. Ray is a firm believer that, though retail is rapidly changing, there will always be brick and mortar stores.
IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA, and Ray Tareghian discuss the future of retail on the pop-up stage.
“There are certain things you can’t experience from behind your laptop that a physical store can offer.” People will still crave the interpersonal relationship that brick and mortars offer.
While GlobalShop @ RetailX was certainly a celebration of technology, innovation, and transformation, the importance of design, community, and improving the consumer experience was still at the core of the attendee experience.
GlobalShop @ RetailX 2020 will take place June 9-11, 2020, at McCormick Place in Chicago.
IIDA | Design Matters 