The end of the year is a time for reflection, a moment in time to stop, consider events of the past twelve months, and decide how to improve and adjust as we look ahead into the coming year with a sense of hope. But let’s not put a bow around 2019 just yet. In keeping with this tradition, I recently reflected back to my post of retail predictions for 2019 and was pleased to see that my hit rate was very high. I also found that there are many lessons still to be learned and additional work to be done, particularly as we consider the impact of new technologies and of staying aligned with the evolution of modern consumer expectations.
Soren Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher and theologian said something in the 1800s that resonates to this day, “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” As we look ahead to not only another year, but another decade, let’s reflect back to five of my 2019 predictions and how they played out this year, with the hopes that they can give us a meaningful glimpse into the retail industry moving forward.
at Forbes
