The National Retail Federation’s (NRF) BIG Show comes fresh on the heels of CES, and we’re keeping tabs on key developments.
Policy Goals: Aside from the perennial calls to lower taxes, improve trade, and streamline the immigration process, the retail trade group is trying to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act. This would allow states to collect sales taxes from online commerce, which Internet lobbyist groups are averse to, for obvious reasons. It didn’t pass last year, but with a new Congress, the NRF is attempting to push it through again.
Largest Retailers: The NRF also published its annual list of the 250 largest global retailers, the five largest being Wal-Mart, Costco, Carrefour, Schwarz Group, and Tesco.
2015 Trends:
- Travel retail: Increased travel means airport retail is becoming more than just magazines and overpriced snacks.
- Mobile retail: With the dual spread of mobile payments and location marketing, mobile retail is nowhere near the ancillary market it used to be.
- Same-day delivery: More retailers are embracing the theory of “fast and nimble” over big boxes.
- Retail as experience: The consumer journey needs to be consistent across all channels, and put a focus on personalization and lifestyle branding.
- Disruption: Retail must embrace technology and innovation.
For a more in-depth look, check the NRF report.