The retail sector is going through a dramatic transformation. Rather than just selling products, leading retailers are expected to deliver services and experiences. Interactive and ongoing customer engagement during the pre-sales and post-sales stages is the new benchmark to match.

5G promises to support this transformation at several layers — in addition to enhancing supply chain and back-office operations. 5G will speed up the transformation of the retail sector by delivering technology building blocks for frictionless end-to-end experiences. Three main takeaways of 5G in the retail sector are that:

  • 5G-enabled augmented, mixed, and virtual reality will alter brand-consumer interactions. 5G-enhanced mobile broadband provides the basis for virtual and remote sales support. Consumers will get better product information during the pre- and post-sale stages.
  • 5G-enabled internet-of-things services will drive supply chain optimization. 5G massive, machine-type communications connect myriad internet-of-things sensors for track-and-trace solutions. In turn, this boosts retail supply chain transparency and efficiency.
  • 5G enables many other technologies in the retail sector. 5G is primarily an enabling technology, boosting possibilities for big data-generated customer insights, virtual and augmented reality services, smart screens, and mobile-cloud services.

Our new report, “The CIO’s Guide To 5G In the Retail Sector,” highlights potential 5G use cases in retail and provides advice on how retailers can explore the potential of 5G.