12 Retail Tech Blogs You Should Be Reading

May 29, 2018

In today’s rapidly changing retail landscape, retailers are increasingly turning to technology to gain a competitive advantage. Whether you’re an executive at a big box retailer or an independent shop owner, you’ve likely considered installing a technology solution in your store to help boost sales, drive engagement, or gather important customer insights. Retail tech providers vary widely, from practical amenities like phone charging stations to fun gadgets like AR-powered Magic Mirrors. To better navigate these retail tech trends and find the best solution for your business, you’ll want to bookmark these 12 best retail tech blogs:

 

RetailDive.com

Part of the Industry Dive network, Retail Dive’s mission is to provide retail professionals “a bird’s-eye-view of the retail industry in 60 seconds.” In addition to covering retail industry news and analysis (click on the Technology topic for retail tech-focused news), RetailDive also features retail industry jobs and events as well as a podcast called Conversational Commerce where you can hear interviews with thought-leaders in the retail world.

 

 

RetailWire.com

RetailWire is an online discussion forum for retail industry professionals. Each business morning, the RetailWire editors select news topics deemed worthy of commentary by its “BrainTrust” panel of retail industry experts and by its members. Both informative and engaging, these virtual roundtables offer opinions and advice on the key issues affecting the retail industry, from Amazon’s recent ban of chronic returners to the future of retail loyalty programs.

 

 

FierceRetail.com

Part of the Questex LLC digital publications network (eg. FierceCEO, FierceWireless, FierceHealthcare, etc.), FierceRetail is a great source for news and analysis about retail IT, operations, marketing and logistics for the busy retail executive. Their Technology section features regular updates on the retail tech sector, from the latest uses of AI in retail to the newest robotics transforming logistics.

 

Retail-Week.com

London-based Retail Week is the premier voice of the UK retail industry. Since 1988, Retail Week has been delivering critical analysis of the retail industry’s performance. Their mission is “to connect retailers with the industry via our market-leading analysis, insightful data, comprehensive news and our exclusive events.” The website’s Technology topic section is a great source for the latest news, analysis, data and video on technology in retail.

 

 

RISNews.com

For more than 20 years, RIS (Retail Info Systems) has been providing “the essential information senior-level retailers need to make the right IT decisions to increase sales and reduce costs.” Both a digital and monthly print publication, RIS News divides its retail insights into five main categories: Store Systems, Analytics, Digital Commerce, Supply Chain/Merchandising, and Customer Engagement.

 

 

FashionRetailTechNews.com

This is a niche blog written by retail industry insider Carolann Larkin McKay who’s “always on the prowl for exciting news in fashion, retail and technology.” What we love about her blog is that it offers weekly headlines with links from articles Carolann finds around the web that cover fashion, retail, e-commerce and technology. These weekly industry briefs provide excellent roundups of important retail news for the busy retail executive!

 

 

RetailNext.net Blog

Used by more than 350 retailers in over 60 countries, analytics software company RetailNext bills itself as a “pioneer in focusing entirely on optimizing the shopper experience.” With the goal of increasing sales, reducing theft and eliminating unnecessary costs, RetailNext provides e-commerce style shopper analytics to brick-and-mortar retailers. Their regularly updated blog contains a wealth of information and analysis of retail tech trends, marketing, data, and company staffing and culture.

 

 

MyTotalRetail.com

Part of the NAPCO Media group, Total Retail is the “go-to source for marketing, e-commerce, operations and management executives looking for the latest news and analysis on the omnichannel retail industry.” With its daily-updated website, quarterly print issue, daily e-newsletter (the Total Retail Report), and virtual and in-person events, Total Retail offers retail industry execs the information they need to succeed. Visit their Technology section for the latest retail tech insights!

 

 

RetailTouchPoints.com

A division of digital media firm G3 Communications, Retail TouchPoints (RTP) is an online publishing network catered to retail executives that offers content focused on optimizing the customer experience across all channels. Through articles, newsletters, video and audio podcasts, RTP emphasizes “the importance of thinking innovatively in a new media climate.” Their Retail Innovation category is your best bet for finding the latest retail tech trends, news and insights.

 

 

RetailMinded.com

Founded in 2007 by retail thought leader Nicole Leinbach Reyhle, Retail Minded features industry news, education and resources to help independent retailers “thrive in their unique retail goals.” News articles are geared towards small businesses and often feature a tech angle, whether it’s tips on how to launch an SMS marketing campaign or new tech for tracking customer behavior.

 

 

NRF’s Blog

The National Retail Federation (NRF) is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing all retail formats for America’s largest private sector employer. It’s no surprise that their blog is an excellent source of information for retail executives, especially those that work for big box retailers. Their blog’s Technology section features news and analysis of the most innovative retail tech being deployed in brick-and-mortar retail stores today.

 

 

The IoT@Intel Blog

Tech giant Intel’s blog delivers some of the best insight on IoT and technology applications in the business world today. You can filter the blog articles to view only those that are part of the Retail category (even more retail articles can be found by searching for the keyword ‘retail’ in their search bar). Intel’s retail-focused content delivers news and analysis on how retailers are leveraging the Internet of Things to drive growth and enhance the brick-and-mortar shopping experience.