Miya Knights’ Post

🎉 Happy Friday everyone! Looking back to predict the future, here's my 2024 LinkedIn rewind: 🤔 What struck me most about retail technology in 2024 was that the conversation finally shifted from asking, "What's possible with AI?" to "What works for customers and the bottom line?" 📣 From commenting on major retail IT outages for BBC Radio 4 to contributing to Netflix's Costa Coffee documentary, I've seen firsthand how technology success depends on thoughtful implementation rather than chasing the latest innovation for its own sake. Key developments that shaped retail tech this year: • Major retailers learned hard lessons about robust deployment testing • Supply chain excellence emerged as the true differentiator • Cross-border and marketplace ecommerce disrupted traditional retail models • Store technology investments faced stricter ROI scrutiny • Customer experience remained the ultimate proving ground Three highlights that particularly stuck with me: "Embrace tech & digital as cost enablers, not cost centres. Winning retailers have leveraged digital and data for over 30 years to excel by meeting consumer demands for convenience and personalisation." From my time spent with the Publicis Sapient Inner Circle in Paris: https://lnkd.in/exucwrA5 "Gen AI is the copilot, not the pilot - especially when it comes to personalisation and customer engagement." From moderating the Customer, Marketing & Loyalty conference track at this year's Retail Technology Show: https://lnkd.in/epWSqATC Being selected as RETHINK Retail Top Expert for 2024: https://lnkd.in/ekfAW-8W I've also been proud to continue serving retail's evolution through my: • Retail Think Tank membership • Digital Commerce Global Board of Advisors role • MACH Alliance Impact, eCommerce Expo, EHI Retail Institute European Retail, The Grocer, and Vendors in Partnership Awards judging • Retail Technology Magazine leadership • Contributing to "The London Brief" blog for the excellent 'commerce meets culture' Future Commerce publication • Industry event moderation and speaking for Amplience, intent.ly, Publicis Sapient, the TCG Summit, Retail Technology Show, Spring Fair & Autumn Fair, eComm Live™ & eComm Awards | eCommerce Events, IRX, Digital Commerce Expo and the BOLD B2B: ECOMM SUMMIT, to name a few! Looking ahead to 2025, successful retailers will do more with less through technology that delivers measurable value. Whether AI-driven personalisation, supply chain optimisation, or enhanced store operations, the focus must be on delivering practical results rather than buzzwords. To everyone working to enhance the use of technology for good in retail: The fundamentals haven't changed. Tech should serve strategy, not define it. Here's to making retail technology work harder for customers and businesses in 2025. #2024Rewind #RetailTech #DigitalCommerce #CX -- You can get your 2024 LinkedIn Rewind, too, here: https://lnkd.in/e6fjtTkK.