Retailistic

Deborah Weinswig

Join Deborah Weinswig of Coresight Research as she hosts discussions on a range of topics at the intersection of retail and technology.

  1. 3d ago

    How a Cute Penguin Robot Is Raising Retail Wages and Cutting Monotonous Work

    Key takeaways Shelf intelligence raises the return on every other store investment.Retailers should own and govern their shelf data.Robots free store teams for higher-value work and customer connection.Topics covered 0:25: Dana previews this week's Coresight Research reports, including the end of de minimis and cross-border e-commerce. 1:32: Retailers' questions have moved from "do robots work in stores?" to "how fast can they scale?" Caitlin cites Kroger's Investor Day: about 900 robots live and more than 2,100 coming. 3:18: Computer vision now tells retailers why a shelf problem exists. It ranks fixes by profit and margin, assigns them to a person, and confirms they were done. 5:55: The shelf is shared infrastructure. The Coresight report found that retailers should digitize the shelf before other store tech, and that robots are 50% more precise than other scanning methods. 7:13: In 2027 the robot becomes a platform, and the data becomes retail's operating layer. Retailers need to own and govern that data. 8:18: Planning gets harder as professional shoppers and order volumes shift. Report stats: nearly 90% of retailers struggle with store operations, and sales lost to inefficiency rose 21% year over year. 10:31: One public club client improved online order efficiency by 40% with guided pick paths. 12:27: Retail media works better when it reflects what is really on the shelf. Clients find that 60% of items they think are out of stock are only misplaced, and pickers make 50% fewer substitutions. 14:07: Remote store views let brand partners check pricing, promotions and planograms, and compare private label with national brands. 15:49: Fresh, center-of-store, non-food and apparel need different scan frequency and tools, including fixed cameras and RFID. 17:36: Retail jobs and turnover. Robots take over repetitive audits so staff can spend time with shoppers. Caitlin says 90% of store managers prefer their jobs with Tally around, and that retail employment is near record highs. 22:29: Out-of-stocks and leadership awareness. About 50% of shoppers who can't find an item go elsewhere. One in three retailers has digitized the shelf. 25:11: BJ's results: e-commerce fulfillment about 40% faster. SIMBE pilots typically pay back in 3–4 months at roughly 3–4x. 27:11: SIMBE's three layers are retail capture, retail applications and data for CPG brands. The supply chain is still early in this shift. 29:26: Buyers now see they are buying data to reinvent their operating model, not just a robot. Most deals are robots-as-a-service, with growing interest in CapEx. 30:29: Customer lifetime value rose 11 percentage points for retailers using store intelligence. Shoppers visit more, stay longer and spend more when Tally is in the store. 34:05: Tally is the only safety-certified robot in public retail spaces, which Caitlin says should become the industry standard. 35:05: Looking ahead to 2027, Caitlin cites 96% of shoppers preferring a store with a robot.

  2. Sep 8

    AI Is Bringing the Art Back to Retail (and Why That Changes Everything)

    Key  topics Data-driven decision making in retailImpact of AI on retail and marketingReinvention of malls and retail spacesBuild versus buy in AI technologyOrganizational structures around data and AIPattern recognition as a core of intelligenceRetail metrics and their limitationsRetail as a service and brand aggregatorsTakeaways Data for the sake of data is not enough; focus on conclusions.Every part of an organization has biases that affect decision-making.AI can reignite human creativity by lowering the science barrier.Success in retail is linked to talent and strategic alignment.Retail metrics like revenue per store can be misleading. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Ethan Chernofsky and retail AI03:25 How data changed perspectives on retail and real estate05:20 Pattern recognition and the essence of intelligence06:20 Balancing qualitative and quantitative data08:29 The impact of AI on narratives and decision-making09:44 The art and science balance in retail and AI11:08 Using AI to save time and enhance creativity12:18 Pacing the adoption of AI in organizations14:09 Build versus buy in AI technology16:32 The future equilibrium of AI tools and platforms18:57 Human elements in retail amidst AI advancements21:02 Real-world examples of AI success in retail22:25 Overused retail metrics and their pitfalls23:16 The renaissance and reinvention of malls24:09 Cross shopping as a key psychographic indicator25:03 Innovative uses of auto centers in malls27:57 Dress room technology and consumer resistance29:53 Walmart's data-driven success and pivots34:55 Leadership, talent, and organizational health in retail37:33 The impact of brand aggregators and retail consolidation

  3. Jul 28

    GLP-1s Aren’t Just a Drug—They’re Rewriting the Entire Retail Playbook

    Key  topics Evolution of retail technology from typewriters to AI Impact of AI and automation on pharmacy operations The role of pharmacists in patient care and diagnostics The significance of store experience and customer engagement Future trends: longevity, personalized medicine, and digital health Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Steve Perlowski and NACDS 00:31 Historical perspective: retail tech in 1988 01:01 From typewriters to mail correspondence 01:15 Early retail data collection methods 02:34 Impact of internet, cloud, and AI on retail 03:22 Prioritization of pharmacy tech investments 04:12 Transformations in pharmacy customer experience 05:26 Automation and AI in pharmacy operations 07:05 Centralized pharmacy fulfillment and robotics 08:42 Pharmacy's role in healthcare and longevity 09:40 Implications of extended lifespans and biotech advances 12:23 Misunderstandings about pharmacy and healthcare 13:50 The complexity of prescription fulfillment and insurance 17:47 Technological improvements in prescription accuracy 19:02 AI and computer vision in medication dispensing 20:06 GLP1s and the broader store health story 24:37 Emergence of new health categories and merchandising 27:24 Creating experiences and merchandising by life stage 32:22 The evolving role of pharmacists and in-store health services 39:11 Challenges facing pharmacy location sustainability 41:27 Tech industry disconnect and opportunities in retail 44:57 AI build vs. buy and organizational ownership 45:41 Data privacy, HIPAA, and AI regulation 47:06 Lightning round: personal preferences and insights

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5
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Join Deborah Weinswig of Coresight Research as she hosts discussions on a range of topics at the intersection of retail and technology.