As retail has reopened, retailers have had to evaluate their store layouts to comply with new safety requirements, as well as consumer expectations. These initial efforts have not always aligned with how a brand has typically portrayed its image. The store's physical footprint requires a new level of agility that ebbs and flows with today's demands and fluid guidelines of the New Next. The customer and associate experiences have become a carefully choreographed interaction where the role of channels is completely blurred and where the Mobile POS must fit into a broader technology strategy.

In 2018, we looked at retailers who were differentiating themselves through personalized, omnichannel shopping experience and associates who are better equipped to support their customers. The leaders invested in mobile and digital initiatives with applications that empower front and back-office processes. In 2020, the same move has become a competitive necessity. Retailers require agility at all levels to protect, preserve, and innovate to deliver the new customer experience.