Retail and eCommerce conferences and trade shows are effective places for retailers to meet new people, gain insights into industry trends and discover new strategies to prepare themselves for the future. But with many conference options out there, choosing the right retail conferences to attend can be a challenge. We’ve narrowed it down to nine must-attend 2019 retail conferences and retail events you should be at.

It has been a busy year at Skyhook. We’ve covered topics on our blog spanning from IoT, to Location Intelligence to geofencing and many more. Here’s a look back at our most popular blogs of the year:

All mobile applications utilize several APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and SDKs (Software Development Kits) to increase standardizations and add new and useful features. These software packages allow for unique capabilities that most developers would not otherwise be able to deploy without many dedicated resources. With this being said, there’s a lot of confusion over what the difference is between an SDK and an API and why an app would want to integrate 3rd party software. In this blog post, we will define APIs and SDKs and discuss the difference between an API and an SDK and how they serve different purposes.

It’s no secret that the ease of online shopping and free two-day shipping has become an increasingly attractive alternative to shopping at traditional brick and mortar retail locations. In 2018, more than 60% of consumers reported they’ll be shopping online for their holiday gifts. And with big store closure announcements coming from household names like JCPenney, Macy’s, and J. Crew, it’s clear that online shopping has had a big impact on in-store sales.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a hot topic now more than ever. According to Ericsson, the number of connected devices is expected to reach 28 billion worldwide by 2021. These connected devices are everywhere, from washing machines to tooth brushes, and thermostats to trash cans. They're all around us. With the IoT ecosystem changing rapidly in 2019, it's important to get together to discuss the latest developments, share ideas and explore new opportunities in the marketplace throughout the year.

Conducting research and assessing real estate investment opportunities is no easy task. Whether you’re evaluating an investment space for retail, commercial, industrial or hospitality use, it’s important to consider all of the social and economic factors in a given area in order to make an educated investment.

The future of wearables in recent years has been uncertain, but don’t mistake it for dead. Wearables are becoming a bigger part of our daily lives, and Statista estimates the wearable device market will reach 5.8 billion dollars in 2018.

Improving the customer experience is a critical piece of staying ahead in today’s highly competitive landscape, especially in the hospitality industry. Superb guest experience (GX) isn't just a nice-to-have, but a must-have. In fact, studies show that companies who successfully implement a customer experience strategy achieve higher customer satisfaction rates, reduced customer churn and increased revenue.