Leading from the front

Digital Reinvention® in retail

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Executive overview

Authors: Pascal Gaussen, IBM Industry Academy member, Simon Glass, Global Retail Leader, Karl Haller, Global Leader, Consumer Center of Competence, IBM Global Business Services, Anthony Marshall, Research Director, IBM Institute for Business Value, IBM Global Business Services

Reimagining the retail enterprise The retail industry has been the epicenter of innovation for centuries. Emergence of emporia or department stores in the mid-1800s, including Harrods of London, Macy’s of New York and Le Bon Marché of Paris redefined the shopping experience and inspired other industries. Consumer demand for cutting-edge innovations such as virtual, augmented or mixed reality, personal devices, and open source platforms and apps – has reaffirmed retail’s position at the forefront of digitization. But exposure to the brunt of technological disruption brings both challenges and opportunities. The most successful retailers we surveyed are embracing new customer-centric business strategies beyond traditional transformation that we call Digital Reinvention™.

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Leading from the front: Digital Reinvention® in retail

The pervasive challenge faced by consumer products manufacturers and retailers alike is how to plan and execute as an end-to-end supply chain.

The coming AI revolution in retail and consumer products

Brands and retailers are already adopting AI-powered intelligent automation at a breathtaking pace – and that process is about to accelerate.

Rethink, reimagine and reinvent the retail store

Consumers are changing how they shop and engage, leading the retail industry to its biggest transformation in 50 years.

Consumers at the heart of healthcare

Healthcare has long aspired to “patient-centricity.” Now, new players vying to enter the healthcare market are finding abundant opportunities to own a piece of the industry.