NRF 2018 Day 3 Recap: Diversity, Augmented Reality and Goodbyes

It’s been an exciting three days at NRF 2018. Though we’re sad to say goodbye to the thought-provoking sessions, creative booth designs, innovative retailers and engaged attendees, we’re excited to take our learnings and bring them home to San Francisco. Below are some of our highlights from NRF Day 3, stay tuned for more NRF-inspired blogs in the weeks to come!

We started the morning with a lovely breakfast event, where guests enjoyed a presentation from our Inkling Collaboration customer, Vera Bradley.

At the show, we made sure to take in all of the interesting displays from other exhibitors. Here’s Intel, with one of the boldest claims we saw at the show.

At another booth, augmented reality was still drawing crowds – there was tons of it at the show.

Apex presented their AnyWhere solutions for retail, where consumers can “Click & Collect Order Pick-Up & Returns.” Is this the end of store associates? We don’t think so, but it’s a convenient add-on to your retail mix nonetheless.

Moving on, we got a glimpse into understanding in-store traffic patterns courtesy of our friends at RetailNext.

We’ve spent a lot of time trying to replace paper in business’ operations. Glad to see the future of price tags is digital.

President and CEO of NRF, Matthew Shay, kicked off the final keynote by reflecting on what a well attended and successful event NRF 2018 was! We agree.

Next, retail leaders discussed why diversity and inclusion is imperative to running a successful business. The Chief Purpose Officer at PWC interviewed the CEOs of Best Buy, Clorox Company, Network for Executive Women and J.C. Penney. Best Buy’s CEO eloquently said, “a company’s purpose is not to make money. It’s to serve its customers and be a force for the common good.”

Additionally, did you know that J.C. Penney’s CEO is only one of 3 African American CEOs in the Fortune 500? It was an eye-opening session indeed.

Meanwhile, outside: Food, check! Warm blankets, check! The crowds were “toughing it out” in NYC, with lots of delicious vendors to choose from.

Last, but certainly not least, we got to hear first-hand how Tommy Hilfiger keeps his brand at the forefront by embracing technology and driving innovation. He talked about connecting with “the youth,” but clearly he’s doing that well! He partners with celebrities to get their fans to become consumers of his brand.

Thank you to everyone who visited Inkling during NRF 2018! If you’d like to learn more about Inkling Collaboration, our mobile platform for in store execution, be sure to visit us here. Retail’s BIG Show, we’ll see you again in 2019!