The Future of Retail Isn’t What Happens Tomorrow

In the future, here’s what retail is supposed to look like: a world where shopping is frictionless and perfectly personalized. Retailers will know what we want before we do, all thanks to troves of data that ensure a seamless fusion of supply chain, seller and shopper. The gaps between online, in-store and app will melt away. We’ll try on clothes via a virtual smart mirror, and we’ll pay without ever stopping at a checkout counter. For consumers, it’s a great vision, a future optimized for convenience, efficiency and delight. But for many retailers, it feels like a pipe dream. Sure, the retail fortune-tellers can promise everything when they don’t have to actually put their predictions into practice. A huge gulf exists between what’s possible in theory and the challenging realities of running a day-to-day retail operation. Merchants today are saying, “We’ve heard enough about what the future is supposed to look like. How do we get there?” At Adyen, we make software that lets retailers accept payments nearly everywhere, in all popular forms. As chief commerce officer, I’m on the road much of the year meeting our customers and seeing the challenges they face up close — as well as their mistakes.

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