{"id":56795,"date":"2021-01-27T10:00:29","date_gmt":"2021-01-27T18:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/industry\/blog\/?p=56795"},"modified":"2023-05-31T16:45:48","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T23:45:48","slug":"3-top-takeaways-from-nrf-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/en-us\/industry\/blog\/retail\/2021\/01\/27\/3-top-takeaways-from-nrf-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"3 top takeaways from NRF 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This year\u2019s National Retail Federation BIG show was something different\u2014entirely virtual. But it came off quite smoothly, demonstrating how powerful digital transformation can be. It even had some advantages over an in-person event. I was able to see more sessions for one. And without aching feet.<\/p>\n

Still, even with the more accessible digital format, not everyone could attend the show or hit every session<\/span><\/span>\u00a0(and I did miss seeing friends and former colleagues from the industry<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>)<\/span><\/span> Here are a few of my big\u00a0<\/span><\/span>highlights<\/span><\/span>\u00a0including\u00a0<\/span><\/span>an\u00a0<\/span><\/span>incredible private preview of Microsoft Cloud for Retail<\/span><\/span><\/a>:\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

COVID-19 is the new chief innovation officer<\/h3>\n

2020 was a year where we saw retail change at a pace and a scale that we could never have imagined.\u00a0<\/span>A key theme I discussed was the\u00a0<\/span>lessons learned from 2020. Some experts say we\u2019ve seen 10 years of digital evolution in the past 10 months. That\u2019s in large because COVID-19 has become our new <\/span>chief innovation officer.\u00a0<\/span>We saw disruptions across supply chains, the advent of remote work at scale, incredible growth in e-commerce penetration, and advances in sustainability.\u00a0<\/span>Not to mention a\u00a0<\/span>continued explosion of data<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0shifting customer loyalty.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During a f<\/span><\/span>ireside chat,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0I spoke with Chris\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Putur<\/span><\/span>, EVP, Technology & Operations at REI, the outdoor gear <\/span><\/span>retailer<\/span><\/span>. Like other<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>, REI has had to adopt new health protocols; adopt new digital business models such as curbside pickup<\/span><\/span>\u00a0or virtual outfitting<\/span><\/span>; and found new ways to work from home \u2013 going so far as to sell a corporate HQ to reflect the new hybrid work model.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Microsoft Cloud for Retail<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Makes\u00a0<\/span><\/span>it\u2019s<\/span><\/span> debut\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and more<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Forbes\u2019 article on NRF 2021, Exploring 5 Top Retail Trends at NRF,<\/a> mentions vertical clouds and soon we will have a retail-specific clou. Microsoft Cloud for Retail<\/a> connects experiences across the end-to-end retail value chain using integrated and intelligent capabilities. It will bring value to the industry by connecting and unlocking the power of Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Dynamics, Advertising, and Power Platform to help solve the most urgent challenges retailers are facing. Our ambition is to empower the retail industry to seamlessly connect their customers, their people, and their data. Learn more in my recent blog about our new retail cloud<\/a> or on Microsoft.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On a similar note, I couldn\u2019t have been more excited by the customer momentum and new product capabilities announcements from our modern workplace<\/a> and Microsoft Dynamics 365<\/a> teams.<\/p>\n

The Retail Prophet\u2019s predictions <\/span><\/h3>\n

We hosted an online chat with Doug Stephens, who as the CEO of Retail Prophet<\/a> advises the leadership of global brands on what\u2019s next for retail. Some of the key points Doug made:<\/p>\n