Investments In Employees And Technology, Key Themes At RetailNext Conference

Investments In Employees And Technology, Key Themes At RetailNext Conference

The opening session at RetailNext's Executive Forum started with thoughts from Alexei Agratchev, CEO ... [+] and co-founder of RetailNext about the future of retail. The brightest minds in retail leadership met at the annual RetailNext conference to discuss the current landscape and expectations for the near future. "The authenticity of the Executive Forum is energizing. Because of the event's by-invitation-only status, we've created a kind of safe space for retailers to speak candidly about their struggles, successes, and the opportunities they'll be pursuing," said Alexei Agratchev, CEO and co-founder of RetailNext. "Retailers need to think about how they can fund their own innovation capital," said Deborah Weinsig, CEO and founder of Coresight Research, in her keynote talk to the participants. There are three areas where retailers can create new revenue streams: 1) selling their processes and technology (IP) 3) growing/initiating their retail media networks both on the digital shelf and in stores. In her new co-authored book, Next Generation Retail, Weinswig discusses the need for retailers to continue to make technological investments in physical and digital retail. However, in the current environment, she points out that retailers are fundamentally changing the way they earn money and deserve a higher