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ShopTalk 2024 Recap
Chap Achen

Shoptalk 2024 Recap: AI, Composable OMS, and Rethinking Pandemic Pivots

Shoptalk 2024 is a wrap! Shoptalk has come and gone, leaving a trail of valuable insights for retailers and grocers alike. Let’s do a quick recap of all the goodness that was:

The Rise of Generative AI (Gen AI)

  • Gen AI was a hot topic, with Jason Goldberg, one of our trusted advisors, highlighting its long-term potential: "We're overhyping the short term but underhyping the long term."
  • 6 out of 12 start-ups in start-up row were hawking new Gen AI tools.
  • Interestingly, the conversation is expanding beyond content and front-end customer experiences into the Order Management Systems (OMS) domain. Some lucky prospects got to see that in action at the Nextuple booth!

The Evolving OMS Landscape

  • Retailers are recognizing the limitations of monolithic OMS solutions.
  • The concept of a "composable OMS" gained traction, with retailers seeking adaptable solutions tailored to their specific needs.
  • Conversations with grocers trying to solve specific orchestration needs and retailers looking for improved sourcing logic – this year it felt like a huge leap in understanding that the OMS domain has gone composable.

Rethinking Pandemic-Era Strategies

  • Another interesting trend is seeing how leaders are rethinking the short-term pivots they made during the pandemic. Whether it’s self-checkout, same day delivery, curbside pickup, or use of Instacart – retailers and grocers are looking at hardening these, improving profitability or in some cases scaling back the use of these tools.
  • The willingness to invest in new capabilities is there – but it is against a strong and provable ROI. All part of driving towards shorter and testable engagements.

Looking Forward

Shoptalk 2024 highlighted the growing importance of AI, adaptable OMS solutions, and data-driven decision-making in retail. We look forward to seeing these trends evolve at Shoptalk 2025! 

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Chap Achen

Chap Achen is VP of Product Strategy & Operations at Nextuple. He has spent 25 years in the retail OMNI fulfillment domain as a business leader driving OMNI fulfillment transformation from within large organizations (Best Buy) and smaller premium brands (Red Wing Shoe Company). At Nextuple, Chap is responsible for our Nextuple Fulfillment Studio product strategy and helping retailers get the most out of their OMNI fulfillment technology investments.

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