April 03, 2023

Retail Trends: Balancing Consumer Expectations and Emerging Technologies

14 minutes

In this episode of Integration Redesigned, Cait Porte interviews Chris Muscut, an ecommerce executive, on the latest trends in retail and how businesses can navigate the ever-changing technological landscape to meet consumer demands.

One of the key challenges discussed in the conversation is the need to balance consumer expectations with the limitations of current technology and infrastructure. Muscut suggests that businesses can soften the blow by doing what they can, investigating new technologies that can help move things along, and keeping up with the rapidly changing technological landscape. He also advises businesses to prioritize the needs of their customers and to be open to adapting to new technologies as they become available.

Another important topic they touched on is the importance of data-driven decision making in today's market. Muscut emphasizes the need for businesses to streamline their reporting and use data to drive insights and make informed decisions. He also notes that while having data in multiple systems can be problematic, it is essential to present data in a format that can be used to make decisions.

The conversation also touched on the difficulties of upgrading legacy systems that have been in place for years. Muscut acknowledges that legacy systems can cause bottlenecks and increase additional spend, but upgrading those systems is a massive project that could take years and hundreds of thousands of dollars. He suggests that businesses need to carefully weigh the costs and benefits of upgrading legacy systems, as they are the basis of their business and pulling away from them can be a difficult feat.

Overall, the conversation provides valuable insights into the challenges facing businesses in the retail industry and highlights the importance of staying up-to-date with new technologies and data-driven decision making to remain competitive.

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