The retail sector is in a paradigm shift of digital transformation, with an anticipated 25% of global retail poised to migrate online by 2025. APIs facilitate digital-first shopping experiences in this evolving landscape, allowing retailers to swiftly adapt and enhance their systems. They empower retailers to extend services like online orders with in-store pickups, curbside delivery, and personalized online shopping recommendations, catering to remote customers’ preferences.

Supply chain disruption continues to affect retailers, consumer packaged goods companies (CPGs), and customers. Constraints on the ability to produce goods have limited the availability of in-demand products, leading to inflation. Not only are manufacturers not making enough products in line with demand in industries such as automotive and electronics, at the same time, those products have become much more expensive.

In the Age of the Consumer, loyalty often equals the absence of something better. To sustain loyalty, we must continuously earn it in every interaction. That means today’s winning Retailers must provide: Clearly, this is easier said than done. Delivering the compelling experiences that consumers expect is a tall order, and it requires a consumer-obsessed culture of quality focused on the Consumer Journey.

The retail industry has been shaped and fundamentally transformed by disruptive technologies in the past decade. From AI assisted customer service experiences to advanced robotics in operations, retailers are pursuing new technologies to address margin strains and rising customer expectations.

A study by Harvard Business Review found that almost 73% of shoppers utilize multiple channels during their shopping journey, with only 7% being online-only shoppers and 20% being store-only shoppers. As the holiday season approaches and major sales events like Black Friday loom, retailers face the daunting task of managing a massive influx of merchandise. The complexity amplifies during the crucial last mile of the supply chain when customers switch from home delivery to in-store pickup.

Retail businesses contend with data challenges unique to a fast-paced, high-volume industry.

After 30 years of working in tech across Asia, I’ve seen a lot of ups and downs in these markets. Not long ago, I wrote a blog about what US and European software companies can do to ensure their success when opening for business in the region.

Retail companies can easily visualize and analyze their geospatial data in BigQuery using the CARTO platform.