{"id":40794,"date":"2020-01-21T09:00:50","date_gmt":"2020-01-21T17:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/industry\/blog\/?p=40794"},"modified":"2023-05-31T16:43:49","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T23:43:49","slug":"takeaways-from-the-national-retail-federations-big-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/industry\/blog\/retail\/2020\/01\/21\/takeaways-from-the-national-retail-federations-big-show\/","title":{"rendered":"Takeaways from the National Retail Federation\u2019s big show"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Shelley<\/p>\n

It\u2019s always exciting to go to an event like NRF! But there was something in the air that made NRF 2020 bigger and better than ever before. There were over 38,000 attendees who experienced three days of inspiring discussions and get a perspective on improving customer engagement.<\/p>\n

This year we highlighted how retailers can gain a competitive edge with intelligent retail\u2014<\/span>by delighting customers, empowering first-line workers, optimizing operations and anticipating future market shifts and disruptions.<\/p>\n

I had many interesting moments and conversations at the event, there\u2019s so much innovation and momentum for positive change in the industry that it\u2019s hard not to feel excited for the future. In the opening keynote, Satya Nadella spoke about tech intensity and how it will define the future of retail. Those retailers who can use data to get an omnichannel view of their customer can gain share, customers, and loyalty.<\/p>\n

I was thrilled to be with Satya on stage to discuss IKEA and how they are using Microsoft Teams to drive cultural transformation. Moving from paper and outdated systems to Microsoft Teams have empowered employees to easily manage shift changes, tasks and help balance their work and their life.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve rounded up a few interesting takeaways from the event in case you missed these moments.<\/p>\n

Sustainability takes center stage<\/h2>\n

For me, one of the most memorable things about NRF 2020 was the opportunity I had to lead a Big Ideas session around the increasing importance of sustainability in retail and how technology can help the industry drive a more environmentally-focused agenda. Together with Arti Zeighami, Head of AI and Analytics at H&M, we presented a bold vision for the future of the industry that puts sustainability front and center by using AI and other tech-forward solutions as a catalyst. It was enlightening, fun, and \u2014hopefully\u2014inspiring for all who attended. For those of you who want to learn more and stay connected on our initiative, I would like to invite you to join our Retail and Consumer Goods sustainability forum<\/a> which is a community for networking, sharing best practices, and collaborating with others who are as committed as you are to driving sustainable change in our industry.<\/p>\n

A roadmap for the future: how we enable intelligent retail<\/h2>\n

NRF also brought Microsoft\u2019s specific vision for the future of our industry<\/a> to the fore. Here are a few highlights of how we are creating innovative and dynamic tech solutions to help solve real-world problems our industry faces:<\/p>\n