Store Experience Study 2023: Remodeling Retail

The annual “Store Experience Study” represents the 20th year of collaboration between RIS News and IHL Group. Benchmark your store technology stack against your peers and discover the retail industry’s tech investment plans for today and into the future.

Customer Engagement

Amazon Pauses Fresh Supermarket Expansion as it Seeks Secret Sauce

Amazon said it plans to close Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go physical stores and pause new Fresh openings. Get the details.

Digital Transformation

The Hot Retail Startups of 2023

For RIS’ fifth annual showcase of retail startups, editors highlighted retailers that are inspiring consumers in innovative ways. See who made the list.

Retail Executives
JCPenney and Lamps Plus Bolster Leadership, Naming a New Chief Transformation and Strategy Officer and Chief Marketing Officer
JCPenney and Lamps Plus both made recent leadership appointments, bolstering their tech and marketing efforts, respectively. See who got the roles.
Tech Transformation Videos
Tech Transformation Video: Imteaz Ahamed Of Reckitt Talks MACH
Learn why retailers and consumer goods companies are exploring the benefits of MACH technologies and what the future might hold for generative AI.
Tech Transformation Podcasts
Tech Transformation Podcast: Reckitt’s Imteaz Ahamed On Generative AI and ChatGPT
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably been inundated with news and hot takes on generative AI, including ChatGPT. But what does it mean for retail and consumer goods? There’s a massive amount of potential, and it’s moving really quickly.

Member Q&A
Preparing for the Future of IT: Trends and Takeaways From Infosys’ Parag Jain
Jain uncovers some of the most standout trends in the IT evolution, identifying the industry’s state of readiness, the opportunities that still exist (and where leadership should invest additional resources), and other takeaways executives should have on their radar.
Virtual Reality
Alo Yoga Leverages VR and Streaming for Immersive Digital Shopping Experience
Alo Yoga's new virtual store is looking to immerse consumers. Learn how.
Supply Chain and Merchandising
Save A Lot To Modernize Merchandising Systems
The Supermarket chain will obtain real-time inventory visibility, including data synchronization to centralize ownership and data flows for business agility.
Loyalty Programs
Starbucks Reinvention Plan Marries Digital and Physical Experiences With Web3 Loyalty
During the latest earnings call, Starbucks showed signs that its Reinvention strategy is already paying off.
Retail Executives
Nominations Open for CIO of the Year
RIS News is currently accepting nominations for its 12th Annual CIO of the Year Award, a prestigious program that recognizes executives for excellence in retail technology.
In Store Experience
Bed Bath & Beyond Closing 150 More Stores, Raises $1 Billion To Fend Off Bankruptcy
Trouble is far from over for Bed Bath & Beyond, with the retailer now shuttering 150 more stores in addition to the 87 closed last week. Find out more about the latest efforts to avoid bankruptcy.
Retail Executives
Kohl’s Interim CEO Tom Kingsbury to Stay On, Replacing Michelle Gass
Tom Kingsbury took on the role in the interim when Michelle Gass left, and Kohl’s has announced he will be staying on.
Marketing
Top 4 Ways for E-commerce Websites to Increase Revenue and Retention
Here are four ways that an e-commerce website can use long-term and short-term signals to provide a personalized shopping experience for their users.