We had an exciting few days at CES 2019 with the High Tech Retailing team. With quite a bit of ground to cover, we barely scratched the surface with 2.9 million square feet of exhibit hall. We're already preparing for next year. 

- CES Website

Robotics are a hot topic across retail, manufacturing and so much more. While we've seen them primarily used in rudimentary ways in the past, the addition of artificial intelligence is giving them new life.  Although the robots we encountered at the show were large prototypes or in miniature, there was variety, entertainment, and potential for all types of business scenarios.

Kelly Stickel and Maureen Jann on the hunt to find robots

The innovation was really popping in the High Tech Retailing area. It was exciting to see all of the ways IoT and artificial intelligence were impacting new products in a highly intentional way. 

YouCam Makeup has a set of AI tools that recommends foundation, makeup and hair products with solid results from users and their experience. Proctor and Gamble launched a skin advisor platform that uses artificial intelligence offering customers skincare advice. 

We captured a selection of images we thought best represented CES.  From Robots, to a sea of humanity, the offerings were rich on the showroom floor. Outside were temporary buildings that showcased even more vendors.  Google's temporary building was impressive, no doubt in an attempt to draw attention back to the frequently criticized Google Assistant.
More smart appliances are being rolled out and the technology of retail is getting richer and richer. 

In its fourth year, we are excited to announce Remodista's 2019 list of Women2Watch in Business Disruption. These honorees are solving challenges that are complex and forward thinking in all areas of global business. This program helps our community of leaders and experts shine a spotlight on and think through solutions for problems that require innovation.  It brokers collaboration between subject matter experts and creates a cycle of feedback and shared insights. At the same time, we help curate and cultivate pioneer perspectives and up-and-coming voices in business.  As they hone their future-thinking perspectives, we plug them into perspectives, connections and celebrations that elevate them.

Marketing and sales expert Jerry Talamantes is back with the final article of his three-part blog series about the in-store Customer Experience. He discusses how stores can leverage the in-store event to create experiences that solidify their connection with the customer.

Meet Stacey Head, founder and managing director of she wear, and a 2018 Women2Watch Innovation Award winner. In this month's W2W spotlight, Stacey talks about how an unexpected accident led to the creation of she wear, a company specializing in safety and fashion footwear for women. Stacey is  one of the biggest disruptors and innovators in retail, and we're proud to have her in our community!

You can connect with Stacey and other leaders directly in our HALO community.

Remodista is pleased to announce that we're opening our online community, Help a Leader Out (HALO), to the public with the mission to attract more and more global pioneer thinkers!

Our HALO community has been in beta testing this past year, and we now have about 300 leaders participating. HALO's purpose is to educate brands, cultivate leaders, and connect globally looking at the future of business.

If you are a forward-thinking leader in retail, technology, finance, or any other part of business, please join us in the HALO community.

Our Women2Watch honorees have spoken at over 100 keynotes and panels around the world and in the US since we launched the program in 2016.

It's your turn.

Are you or someone you know an influential woman who is driving innovation in online and brick-and-mortar retail? Remodista is now accepting nominations for our 2019 Women2Watch in Business Disruption!

Nominations close on November 15. Members of our retail committee will reach out to nominees after the nomination period ends.

There's no stopping the march of technology.  And there's no denying that retailers have invested heavily in legacy systems.  A clear gap is emerging and in the chasm is the technical debt that will, at some point, swallow consumer-direct companies whole. 

We worked with our partners at Capgemini to learn more about the transition from legacy to cloud-based applications.  Here are a few highlights:

Our fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is live until October 5, and we'd like to invite you to participate in our online auction benefitting St. Jude.

​We're auctioning off the two Spirit of St. Jude award winner gift bags—each with a retail value worth over $2000.

All proceeds will benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a leading children's hospital pioneering research and treatments for kids with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Because more than 75% of their funding comes from generous donors, St. Jude has the freedom to focus on what matters most — saving kids regardless of their financial situation.