Retail Reinvention in the Age of AI Everywhere: From Omni-Channel to Future-Forward, Autonomous, and Resilient

This IDC Perspective documents the journey retailers have made from omni-channel beginning in 2009 through digital transformation, AI, and mobile everywhere to the current pivot to AI/generative AI (GenAI), intelligent cloud/edge computing, and AI-powered business. Valuable advice and guidance are provided regarding the critical AI/GenAI use cases and how to start the journey to becoming future-forward, autonomous, and resilient (FAR). According to Leslie Hand, group vice president, IDC Retail Insights and Financial Insights, "Enabling omni-channel business has required a continual evolution that includes adding net-new applications and systems, but the pivot to AI has only just begun. Now the industry is on a path to becoming future-forward, autonomous, and resilient, leveraging AI and GenAI to take retail reinvention even farther. Retailers can continue to improve on omni-channel by focusing on the customer with the most efficient product flows and engaging employee experiences in mind."