Traditionally, the retail industry was dominated by brick-and-mortar stores with customers going in, looking, and shopping for what they desired. The traditional shopping experience of grabbing an item of the shelf and paying at the cashier has quickly become only one of several options retailers have to engage with their customers.

Technological innovations, however, have radically changed the landscape of the industry, with more changes likely to come as further developments are made. Wherever an automated solution is implemented, regardless of the issue it is meant to solve, the solution needs to be concise, actionable, and consistent. In large part, since retail technologies are always evolving, retail automation remains an ongoing process for administrators who need to provide quality customer service that keeps pace with shifting demand. The automation of retail processes enables businesses to access data-based insights more frequently, accurately and in real-time.