Predictions are prevalent in every industry, as one year rolls into the next. Retail is no exception. So what were the emerging trends in retail merchandising solutions we were supposed to see in 2016? Let’s review, and see where we are.

Trend: Omnichannel is, well, everywhere.

The future is already here for a growing number of retailers.

• Every store has a website, even if they sell from just one brick-and-mortar location. Responsive websites and other applications that change displays according to the customer are becoming a necessity because customers now expect you to cater specifically to them.
  
  
• Functional lines are blurred – and are entirely disappearing – between online and storefront shopping. Successful retailers are creating a holistic, seamless customer experience that plays out in whatever way the customer prefers. This is why “click-and-collect” programs are growing more popular. Customers can buy online (or via their phone) and stop by the store to collect their merchandise. Or receive a text when their order has arrived. Or text a sales associate to meet them out front with their package.
  
  
• Even tiny boutiques communicate with customers via social media – email and texting, too. They’re using personalized e-newsletters and messages to create a stronger bond and build loyalty.

Trend: Interactive displays are a must-have.

The thrill of online search notwithstanding, customers still want to see, touch, smell, hear, and/or taste your merchandise. That’s why physical stores remain popular. Interactive displays that engage the senses can dramatically boost sales by appealing to each shopper’s emotional as well as practical side. Besides, in today’s tech-dependent world, customers expect you to use all the latest tools and goodies, just like they do.

Trend: Mobile is everything.

Nothing has fed the trend toward omnichannel more than the fact that mobile devices have become ubiquitous.

• “Smart wallet” technologies enable shoppers to check out and pay without standing in line, using their phone or tablet. Smart retailers are advancing this effort by arming the sales staff with their own tablets to facilitate customer assistance and finalize sales. Line-busting used to be seen as a seasonal challenge; now every day is about customer convenience.
  
  
• New generation POS systems assure the latest data security compliance while enabling more payment options. With the right technology, you can effortlessly integrate marketing, advertising, sales, and customer loyalty programs. 

And hot off the press . . .  

The National Retail Federation has just released its list of the “Hot 100” retailers for 2016. These are the trend-setters – retailers, mostly large but sometimes small – who exemplify what’s new and what’s working. “Ace [Hardware] has finished atop the Home Improvement Retailer Satisfaction study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates each of the past 10 years,” they note. “What customers like most are Ace store facilities in general and the staff and service in particular, due to the quickness with which they are waited on when entering a store.” There’s a lesson here.

The NRF also quotes Forrester Research, which predicts e-commerce will be a $523 billion industry by 2020. Will you be there?