John Harmon, CFA, Associate Director of Technology Research

Access research reports and presentations on the retail and technology ecosystem, including consumers, companies, economies, and retail and technology trends. Use the filters below to find research reports and presentations by sector, theme, company or other parameters. Alternatively, use the search box above to find relevant research content.

Innovator Profile | March 22, 2023 Premium

Innovator Profile: Tolstoy Helps Brands Create Engaging Shopping Experiences Through Interactive, Shoppable Video

As part of our Innovator Profile series in the lead-up to Shoptalk 2023, we present Tolstoy, an end-to-end video-commerce platform that enables brands to increase sales and shopper engagement by adding shoppable, interactive video to their digital surfaces.

Insight Report | March 22, 2023 Premium

China’s 2023 National People’s Congress: What Retailers Need To Know

We analyze the retail implications of this year’s National People’s Congress, China’s annual legislative meeting, which took place March 5–13, 2023 in Beijing.

Innovator Profile | March 22, 2023 Premium

Innovator Profile: Nibble Facilitates One-to-One Price Negotiation

As part of our Innovator Profile series in the lead-up to Shoptalk 2023, we present Nibble, an AI (artificial intelligence) chatbot for e-commerce retailers that lets customers negotiate personalized prices on desired products or services.

Insight Report | March 21, 2023 Premium

The Last-Mile Race Intensifies: Target and Walmart Pave the Way in Delivery Innovation

As consumer demand for convenience and speed in the last mile grows, we discuss the innovative delivery initiatives of leading US retailers Target and Walmart—covering drones, sortation centers and more.

Innovator Profile | March 21, 2023 Premium

Innovator Profile: Seer Enables Content Creation and Personalization To Increase Consumer Engagement

As part of our Innovator Profile series in the lead-up to Shoptalk 2023, we present Seer, a content creation, communication and sales platform for retailers.

Innovator Profile | March 20, 2023 Premium

Innovator Profile: Drop Facilitates Seamless and Scalable Selling on Social Media

As part of our Innovator Profile series in the lead-up to Shoptalk 2023, we present Drop, a social commerce platform that enables enterprise brands and retailers to engage with and sell products to their social media followers directly through Instagram Direct Message.

Deep Dive | March 20, 2023 Premium

Retail-Tech Landscape: Robotics and Automation

Robotics and automation will increasingly play an important role as retailers look to invest in technologies to deal with margin pressures amid inflationary pressure and an uncertain macroeconomic environment. We present selected startups globally whose robotics technology solutions support brands and retailers in automating processes across selected categories.

Innovator Profile | March 17, 2023 Premium

Innovator Profile: Hark Transforms Customer Service with an AI-Powered Solution

As part of our Innovator Profile series in the lead-up to Shoptalk 2023, we present Hark, an AI-powered customer experience platform that enables seamless post-purchase interactions between customers and service teams through the use of video and audio prompts.

Innovator Profile | March 16, 2023 Premium

Innovator Profile: Factored Quality Streamlines Quality Control Across Global Supply Chains

As part of our Innovator Profile series in the lead-up to Shoptalk 2023, we present Factored Quality, a platform for streamlining quality control processes across brands’ global supply chains.

Innovator Profile | March 15, 2023 Premium

Innovator Profile: Frate Reduces the Impacts of Retail Returns on Profitability and the Environment

As part of our Innovator Profile series in the lead-up to Shoptalk 2023, we present Frate, a returns management software provider that aims to reduce the impacts of returns on profitability and the environment.

Innovator Profile | March 14, 2023 Premium

Innovator Profile: Wink Provides Seamless Payment Experiences Leveraging Biometrics

As part of our Innovator Profile series in the lead-up to Shoptalk 2023, we present Wink, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) biometric identity and payments platform.

Innovator Profile | March 13, 2023 Premium

Innovator Profile: IN BOLD PRINT. Drives Sustainability in Retail Through Carbon Tracking

As part of our Innovator Profile series in the lead-up to Shoptalk 2023, we present IN BOLD PRINT., whose cloud-based platform helps brands measure carbon emissions and report on their progress toward sustainability goals.

Innovator Profile | March 10, 2023 Premium

Innovator Profile: Syrup Tech Uses AI To Optimize Omnichannel Inventory Management

As part of our Innovator Profile series, we present Syrup, an AI (artificial intelligence)-powered platform that helps omnichannel brands and retailers optimize inventory management.

Insight Report | March 9, 2023 Premium

Temu, the New E-Commerce Marketplace Taking the US by Storm—What Do Consumers Actually Think?

We examine recent proprietary consumer survey data to understand the consumers’ usage and reception of Temu in the US e-commerce space.

Innovator Profile | March 9, 2023 Premium

Innovator Profile: Gander Enables Brands To Engage with Online Shoppers via Integrated UGC Video

As part of our Innovator Profile series in the lead-up to Shoptalk 2023, we present Gander, developers of an end-to-end solution that enables brands to create and embed quality video UGC (user-generated content) on their websites.