The National Retail Federation (NRF) President and CEO, Matthew Shay, shared NRF’s Major Programs for 2012 and 2012 Trends to Shape the Future during his industry update at the BIG SHOW ’12 Expo this past week in NYC. 

Innovation, Technology, and Digital Retail were front and center as major programs, which isn’t too surprising given that one trend identified as shaping the industry, was the convergence of in-store, mobile and online.  Per Mr. Shay, 70% of retailers are anticipated to integrate their experience as they seek a consistent brand experience across platforms in what he referred to as “brand fidelity”.  

It appears that retailers are finally recognizing that consumer empowerment has changed their decision making process as customers are now comparing prices, checking inventory, and making transactions with just a few ‘clicks,’ be it online or what I call “on-mobile” in-store.

It’s also interesting watching the digital screen media messaging shift these past couple of years as mobile takes on a more predominant role within consumer buying behavior.  I’m seeing more digital signage screens being used to steer viewers as to where to go on their mobile devices to find information or a complete message.  This shift is the first of many we’ll see within the industry over the next couple of years as technology integration is woven tighter and tighter.