Retailers are dealing with new challenges driven by technological disruption and the ever-increasing expectations of customers who crave personalization and instant gratification. The one trend that's arguably impacting retailers the most is the emergence of innovative, digital-first competitors.

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands have the power to innovate and quickly adapt to new customer behaviors and market conditions. Because they are relatively new companies, they aren't burdened by the legacy technologies that traditional retailers have to deal with. Companies like Casper, Rent the Runway, and Warby Parker began as online-only brands. But they quickly learned that in order to be in front of customers-they needed to have a physical store presence. After all, despite the undeniable increase in online sales over the past decade, they still only account for 14 percent of all global retail sales.

These DTC brands have been successful with their brick-and-mortar investments because they are not weighed down by the outdated processes and infrastructure that hinder so many older brands. They've adopted innovative approaches to CX that utilize modern, best-in-class technology and processes, creating an agile approach to customer acquisition, engagement, and sales tactics across channels.