Digital Disruptors for Retail Marketers in 2015

5. The death of the pure-play: As Amazon opens its first storefront, perhaps we've reached the inflection point, removing any remaining doubt that the future shopping landscape is no longer architected around the store or a website. Those are merely components in a retail world that's architected around the customer journey. While some notable challenges exist, marketers have never been in a better position to deliver personalized, omnichannel experiences that differentiate their brand — on their websites, in social media, in-store, and on mobile — when, where and how it makes sense. Winning formulas going forward integrate all of these elements.

The landscape for marketing continues to change rapidly. More than ever before, retail marketers need to be watching for, and innovating with, the next round of digital disruptors. Change is certain, survival is not.

Paul Schottmiller is senior vice president, strategy, retail and consumer goods, at Merkle, a customer relationship marketing agency specializing in data-based marketing solutions.