Looking Into the Future: Glimpses from NRF 2018 Retail’s Big Show

Following the centennial tradition, this year has begun with the grandiose NRF 2018: Retail’s Big Show in New York. Visiting such forums is “a must” for most major global retailers.

This year, delegates from BS/2, including the company’s deputy general manager Tomas Augucevičius, sales department manager Emil Musayev, and the retail equipment sales department head Jurij Mikuckij also participated in the show.

The renowned business analysts, such as Ali Velshi, note dramatic shifts in the retail industry that take place – and quite rapidly – over the past couple of years. Customer behavior is also changing. New payment methods are used, the online sales volume increases, the business environment itself changes substantially. Levi’s president, James “JC” Curleigh, who arrived in style for his speech at NRF on a bike, with Bob Dylan playing in the background to his opening remarks, said: ‘That song has the line, “You better start swimming, or you’ll sink like a stone, for the times, they are a-changing.” Bob Dylan wrote that song 50 years ago, and as far as I’m concerned, he could have written it yesterday.”

“Being at the NRF Retail’s Big Show allows us to get first-hand information about the latest technological developments, which then we can offer our business partners and customers,” says Emil Musayev, head of the BS/2 sales department. Commenting on NRF 2018 importance for retail chains, he noted that retail equipment manufacturers and specialized software developers from all over the world come there in search of new business concepts and ideas. Visitors of the fair also have a unique opportunity to learn firsthand about the latest trends and see what the retail outlets will be like soon. The exhibitor’s list includes world-famous and renowned companies, including such BS/2 partners as Diebold Nixdorf, Bizerba, Datalogic, Zebra, Ergonomic Solutions, and others.

Following the BS/2 philosophy, it is an exchange of experience and the unique opportunity to be on the same page with advanced market players that matter for the business development for both the company and its customers. Our partners from Azerbaijan’s Bravo retail network, including the head of store development department Emin Aliyev and purchasing manager Aynur Piriyeva also visited the exhibition and BS/2 colleagues.

For the united team from Lithuania and Azerbaijan, NRF 2018 was an excellent opportunity to learn about innovative retail technologies and trends in detail, proving their choice of the proper business partners for their own brands’ solid and active promotion.