Retail Guru Tony D’Onofrio on Retail Tech, Empowered Consumers

MarketScale recently attended NRF 2020, the retail industry’s biggest annual show, to get a feel for where the industry is headed and sit down with some of retail’s biggest names.

Retail influencer and consultant Tony D’Onofrio joined MarketScale’s Geoff Short for a discussion on some overarching themes in the retail industry as a new decade dawns.

D’Onofrio identified artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics and retailer immersion in technology as key items he hoped were high points at NRF, providing a look into the mind of one of the industry’s biggest names.

Regarding technology, D’Onofrio said consumer smartphone adoption has drastically altered the retail landscape, adding that consumers are often as educated or more educated regarding a retailer’s offerings than employees, themselves.

This “empowered consumer,” D’Onofrio said, expects retailers to respond to digital conversations and needs at a satisfactory level.

Short and D’Onofrio also discussed the difference between concepts, ideas and actionable and implementable tech, what makes tech worth it for retailers, consumer-centric technology, challenges facing retail entering the next decade, and more.

To keep up with everything going on in the retail industry, stay tuned to MarketScale’s retail publication here.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

caregiver
From Caregiver to Changemaker: How Purpose and Community Create Lasting Impact
November 5, 2025

Resilience isn’t just about enduring challenges — it’s about leading with compassion, patience, and faith, even when the path feels uncertain. It’s a quality embodied by every caregiver, whose daily acts of care and commitment reflect the essence of true leadership — helping others grow stronger through empathy, service, and understanding. In this episode…

Read More
leaders
Great Leaders Share Knowledge, Build Trust, and Empower Future Talent
November 3, 2025

The conversation around skilled trades is shifting fast. After decades of “college for all” messaging, trade school enrollment is climbing steadily, signaling a renewed respect for hands-on, high-skill careers that literally keep the world running. In commercial HVAC and mechanical service, this change is not just academic — it’s shaping the next generation of leaders…

Read More
NBA
Slow Stories in a Fast League: Why the NBA Still Deserves Real, In-Depth Journalism
November 3, 2025

In a sports world increasingly defined by short-form clips, social algorithms, and viral takes, long-form storytelling remains a vital counterweight — the place where depth, nuance, and narrative still matter. The NBA, perhaps more than any other league, sits at the center of this tension: every quote can become a meme, every story a highlight…

Read More
skate
The Faith-Fueled Story Behind Camp Arnold Skate Church’s Mission to Reach Youth Through Skateboarding
November 2, 2025

As faith-based outreach evolves to meet younger generations where they are, skate culture has become an unlikely — yet powerful — frontier for transformation. In cities like Dallas, skateparks are serving as modern-day meeting grounds where faith, mentorship, and authenticity intersect. With youth mental health challenges on the rise — the CDC reports that…

Read More