This perspective is vital this shortened holiday shopping season. By optimizing web and mobile platforms with holiday brand messaging, accurate extended product inventory availability, and other key differentiators such as customer loyalty entitlements, creative promotions and customer service assurances, retailers can create an ideal shopping environment earlier in consumers’ decision-making process. The shortened shopping season also requires extraordinarily accurate inventory planning to optimize how inventory is allocated throughout your go-to market channels. Where that doesn't result in alignment between product supply and demand, a sales associate's ability to use web and mobile tools will help them serve shoppers more effectively and drive a successful customer experience.