Retailers are looking for technology solutions that can meet a particular need, whether it’s improving the customer experience, enhancing productivity or increasing revenue. I was excited to see some of the latest entries in the field in January at the National Retail Federation’s annual convention.

Retailers, vendors and industry experts at the event demonstrated an array of solutions and shared their perspectives on how technology will affect the industry this year. Here are four takeaways from Retail’s Big Show.

Today, we’re in the age of usage-based insurance. With modern automobile technology and new data-gathering methods, insurance companies can answer many questions about drivers: How fast does a person accelerate? How hard does he brake? What time of day does she typically drive? Using AI and data analytics, insurance carriers can correlate this data with the likelihood of a driver filing a claim, leading to personalized pricing, safe-driver discounts and more.

Practically the entire retail industry may be using AI by the end of 2020. And yet, AI is still in its infancy in most deployments, with many retailers uncertain about exactly how the technology can improve their businesses.

That’s why I’m looking forward to a number of AI-focused sessions at this year’s annual convention of the National Retail Federation.

Digital transformation, customer experience and omnichannel are three of the biggest buzzwords in retail these days. Here’s one more to add to the conversation: layaway. Surprised? That’s understandable. After all, layaway is a century-old service that many retailers phased out decades ago when credit cards went mainstream. But many others still offer layaway. One reason…

If you’re looking for new and different ways to provide a great customer experience, consider the surveillance systems you already have in your stores, warehouses and even parking lots. They’re there to thwart theft, but with a little incremental investment, these systems can identify opportunities to wow customers and keep them coming back. Take checkout…

When it comes to data analytics, there is a lot to be learned from what higher education institutions are doing with this technology. Schools are facing constant financial and competitive pressure — not unlike most businesses. They need to retain their customers, the students. This can be difficult because of competition from online educational options…