What:  The Robin Report’s take on what to remember from the NRF.

Why it is important:  This year, innovation is not all at all about investing in new tech or new equipment, but smartly utilizing and upgrading the existing one, to optimize capex investments.

Gwen Morrison, former CEO of WPP and partner with Candezant Advisory, gives her views from the NRF Big show that took place earlier this month (and which we also reported). From her point of view, the lack of enthusiasm from big players (be them solution-providers or retailers themselves) left more room for smaller, younger innovators, as clearly visible in the innovation room, which was thriving, compared with the main exhibitor space which was more quiet.

When it comes to leadership she reports the speeches from Brian Cornell (CEO of Target) and Pete Nordstrom (President and Chief Brand Officer at Nordstrom), who both discussed about the supply chain, and the customer-centricity in the case of Target, or the efficiency of the right merchandising and price policy across channels for Nordstrom.

Among the innovations not to be missed, she mentions the metaverse, but more immediately applicable, also solutions allowing to optimize the physical space, not by investing in new equipment but by leveraging the existing one (for instance, by delivering special intelligence to existing security cameras, or adding the understanding of traffic trends in real time to store operators).

Regarding the 2022 NRF themes for the year, it is all about unified commerce, new shopping behaviours, purpose and values, and sustainability.

NRF, come and gone