On September 15-18, the grocery and CPG world will come together in Las Vegas for one of the most important industry events of the year: Groceryshop. More than 3,000 attendees will meet to participate in 70 sessions. The Coresight Research team will be attending the event – and Founder and CEO Deborah Weinswig will kick off track 4 of Groceryshop on Sunday at a session in which 20 startups will present their retail technology solutions. Join us in Track Room 4 at 2:00 PM on Sunday September 15, for the Emerging Technology Spotlight sessions to see for how these 20 innovators are developing technology solutions that promise to shake up CPG and grocery. See the detailed agenda for more information, a list of the companies presenting and information on the people who run them. With consumers’ changing expectations, retailers are facing challenges daily, including responding quickly to customers with products and services that are tailored to their needs. Technologies such as AI may help retailers navigate this challenging landscape. AI Yields Benefits to Retailers and Retail Spends Most on AI In our previous report AI in Retail, we outlined the benefits AI offers retailers, including creating better and more personalized customer experiences, smarter business insights and enabling automation. According to International Data Corporation, retail overtook other industries such as banking and manufacturing to become the biggest spender on AI in 2018, accounting for $3.4 billion in spending. [caption id="attachment_96163" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Source: International Data Corporation/Coresight Research[/caption]   The chart below shows the twenty startups categorized by solution: Improved Shopping Experiences, Data and Insights, Next Generation Marketing and Operations and Supply Chain.   Technology is Changing the Grocery Retail Landscape Grocery retailers endure particularly slim margins compared to nonfood sectors such as apparel, furniture and home improvement, making it even more challenging to invest in technology. But the grocery retail landscape is rapidly changing as technology advances, paving the way for more cost-effective innovations in grocery. Also, given consumers' growing expectations for smooth digital experience and online capabilities, the question may be whether grocery can afford not to invest more in technology. In Groceryshop’s agenda for 2019, four noteworthy technology trends are highlighted: [caption id="attachment_96171" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Source: Groceryshop[/caption]   These also map to Coresight Research’s prediction in 10 Retail Trends for 2019, in which we predicted AI would become retail’s go-to technology. We predicted more retailers would turn to AI and AI service vendors to help them make more effective decisions, communicate more effectively with customers and create more personalized offerings. Based on a Coresight Research proprietary survey of retailers, AI could easily be implemented to reduce waste, improve inventory efficiency and ultimately enhance profitability. In our previous report Reviewing Grocery Tech Innovations from Walmart and Kroger we uncovered 12 technological innovations the retail giants are using to up their game: [caption id="attachment_96172" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Source: Coresight Research[/caption]   We see Walmart and Kroger as leading companies in digital adoption across the grocery supply chain and in stores. Apart from Walmart and Kroger, we also see a few other grocers such as Target adopting AI technologies.   [caption id="attachment_96195" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Source: Company news/Coresight Research[/caption]   To help retailers navigate the fast-changing retail technology landscape, Coresight Research Founder and CEO Deborah Weinswig will present insights from A Buyer’s Guide to AI, the product of extensive research into AI, its applications and how it can benefit retail. Join us at 8:45 AM, Monday September 16 at the Venetian in Track Room 2(where?). Attendees will glean insights into retail grocery technology ecosystem, examine different AI applications and provide a proprietary framework for companies considering investing in AI. We look forward to seeing everyone in Las Vegas for Groceryshop!