The Future of Retail and Technology: How Many Happy Returns?

May 25, 2022
Hosted by Bonnie D. Graham

[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]

Guest Information

Episode Description

The Buzz 1: Retailers expect 17.8% or $158 billion of merchandise sold during the 2022 holiday season will be returned, according to National Retail Federation. [digitalcommerce360.com] The Buzz 2: Retail returns jumped to an average of 16.6% in 2021 versus 10.6% in 2020, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation and Appriss Retail. That adds up to more than $761 billion of merchandise…in unwanted purchases that come back to retailers’ stores and warehouses and become a headache for companies that must decide whether they can resell those items, get them written off by the manufacturer or if they must take the loss. The average rate of returns for online purchases was 20.8% — up from 18.1% in 2020. [cnbc.com] The Buzz 3: Retail in the Age of Instinct. Trends shaping CPG and retail organizations include 'Optimized Reality': CPG and retail companies are using data and digital technologies to tailor experiences, services, products, and promotions to the individual and shift from maximizing supply chains to personalizing demand chains. [www.genpact.com] We’ll ask Praful Karanth, Victoria Wieck, Matt Laukaitis, Navjit Bhasin and Oliver Stocks for their take on The Future of Retail and Technology: How Many Happy Returns?

Technology Revolution: The Future of Now

Wednesday at 8 AM Pacific/11 AM Eastern Time on VoiceAmerica Business Channel

Technology in many shapes, forms, and devices is already shaping nearly every aspect of your life. How? On your smart phone and tablet with thousands of apps to enhance your work and daily living. On streaming media that lets you watch TV and movies anytime anywhere. On social media where your voice is instantly amplified to reach the world. Think you’ve seen it all? Not! There’s more to come and you’re part of making it happen – right now. Join host Bonnie D. Graham as she speaks with future-focused visionaries on Technology Revolution: The Future of Now, broadcasting live every Wednesday at 8 AM Pacific Time/11 AM Eastern Time, on the Business Channel.

Bonnie D. Graham

Bonnie D. Graham produced and hosted her first live talk radio show in 1998 on AM1240–WGBB, Long Island, NY’s oldest terrestrial radio station. A few years later, she moved from terrestrial to Internet radio with her author interview show, “Up Close and Personal.” In 2011, working at the enterprise software leader SAP, she developed the concept for a weekly live global business thought leadership roundtable series on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel – and launched “Coffee Break with Game-Changers” on October 5, 2011. Over the next nine years, Bonnie D. created, produced and hosted 46 additional SAP series on the Business Channel, attracting millions of listeners around the world. Since becoming an independent broadcaster in 2019, she has developed and hosted live radio and podcast series on the Business Channel for eight additional organizations, as well as her own weekly series, “Read My Lips: Cool Conversations with Creatives with akaRadioRed,” on the Empowerment Channel. In 2023, her live-streaming “Technology Revolution: The Future of Now” series was ranked No. 6 on FeedSpot’s Top 70 Technology Podcasts to Listen to in 2023. What powers Bonnie D.’s passion for radio? She “loves speaking with smart people!”

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