Almost everybody has found their plans mired in the coronavirus. From the retailers whose sectors they depend on have been closed down to holidaymakers whose travel plans have been limited, everyone has been left thinking of what will happen next. Most people have been forced to change their plans while others have halted them completely. As the holiday season gets closer, many retailers will soon start planning their 2020 season, if they have not begun already. While people in this industry have had it easy to forecast and diligently plan for such seasons and execute the holiday campaigns accordingly in the past, this year is a difficult one considering the challenges occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As other organizations face a rough time due to coronavirus pandemic, Amazon seems to be having a good time. The company just reported the best ever quarter, meaning the company is making profits and is gaining more power with time. Despite the losses that have reduced traffic in malls for quite some time, customers seem to be shifting their attention to online shopping. And then the coronavirus hit. As it appears, Amazon might soon take over spaces of bankrupt retailers who are struggling with the coronavirus pandemic and other issues.

The retail industry has been going through a raft of significant changes since the last decade. These changes have been occasioned by the increased internet access and the rise of artificial intelligence, virtual reality and robotics, all of which have proven helpful in many industries. As we move into the future, many technologies keep coming up and the industry will no doubt be revolutionized for the better. The changes will, without doubt, change retail as we know it to a completely different one going forward and you can expect these changes starting now.

Over the past few years, the terms big data and big data analytics have become common keywords in almost every industry. However, we have now come of age and these terms are being put into action to solve different real-life problems. In the procurement and supply chain industry, big data has become critical, considering the complex nature of the industry.