What in the World Is Causing the Retail Meltdown of 2017?

From rural strip-malls to Manhattan’s avenues, it has been a disastrous two years for retail.

There have been nine retail bankruptcies in 2017—as many as all of 2016. J.C. Penney, RadioShack, Macy’s, and Sears have each announced more than 100 store closures. Sports Authority has liquidated, and Payless has filed for bankruptcy. Last week, several apparel companies’ stocks hit new multi-year lows, including Lululemon, Urban Outfitters, and American Eagle, and Ralph Lauren announced that it is closing its flagship Polo store on Fifth Avenue, one of several brands to abandon that iconic thoroughfare.

Continue reading… “What in the World Is Causing the Retail Meltdown of 2017?”

Which 5 jobs will robots take first?

Robo Workers 8g5d

In 2012, Futurist Thomas Frey predicted that 2 billion jobs would disappear by 2030, roughly half of all jobs that exist today. Oxford University researchers reinforced this with their estimates that 47 percent of U.S. jobs could be automated within the next two decades. But which ones will robots take first?

First, we should define “robots” as technologies, such as machine learning algorithms running on purpose-built computer platforms, that have been trained to perform tasks that currently require humans to perform.

Continue reading… “Which 5 jobs will robots take first?”

Top 3 ways exponential technology will impact the future of learning

exponential technology

Exponential technologies tend to move at a slow pace then to a disruptively fast pace. We often don’t notice technologies in the deceptive growth phase, until they begin changing the way we live and do business. Driven by information technologies,  products and services become digitized, dematerialized, demonetized and/or democratized and enter a phase of exponential growth. (Video)

Continue reading… “Top 3 ways exponential technology will impact the future of learning”

Murder rate in U.S. cut in half over past 20 years while gun ownership increases

guns

Last week, the Pew Research Center reported that the murder rate was cut nearly in half from 7 per 100,000 in 1993 to 3.6 per 100,000 in 2013. Over the same period, overall gun deaths (including accidents and suicides) have fallen by one-third from 15.2 to 10.6 per 100,000.

Continue reading… “Murder rate in U.S. cut in half over past 20 years while gun ownership increases”

Top 10 American brands that will disappear in 2016

officemax

24/7 Wall St. has identified 10 American brands that they predict will disappear, either through bankruptcies or because of mergers in 2016. Bankruptcies of large public companies in 2015 have already exceeded 2014 totals. Similarly, the total value of mergers and acquisitions is projected to hit a record high in 2015. While some of the companies on this list may disappear because they continue to be at the bottom of their industry, some may disappear because they are doing well.

Continue reading… “Top 10 American brands that will disappear in 2016”

Here’s what it take to deliver breakthrough customer experiences

customerexperience

Seven minutes is all it takes for financial-technology start-up Kabbage to approve a small-business loan. That’s almost 5,000 times faster than the 20 days it takes a typical bank. It’s no wonder that customers’ experiences with technology companies have not only altered their behavior but also raised their expectations about how interactions with all businesses should work. As a survey conducted by Ipsos and LinkedIn found, some 67 percent of affluent millennials are open to using non-financial-services brands.

Continue reading… “Here’s what it take to deliver breakthrough customer experiences”

How to recruit a great software developer

software developer

It’s a seller’s market for programmers. Demand for programmers and software engineers is expected to grow by 22 percent over the next seven years, according to research conducted by IT staffing firm, Modis. The average salary for a software developer is around $96,000 and top earners approach $150,000 per year, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

NOTE: For those wanting to enter the programming profession, DaVinci Coders is currently accepting applications for the 2016 courses. Small class sizes so seating is limited.

Continue reading… “How to recruit a great software developer”

Wearable usage in the U.S. will jump almost 60% in 2015

wearable

We will continue to see double-digit growth in the number of Americans using wearable devices over the next several years, according to eMarketer’s first wearables forecast. In 2015, 39.5 million US adults 18 and over will use wearables, including smartwatches and fitness trackers. That’s a jump of 57.7% over 2014. While penetration among US adults is just 16.0% this year, eMarketer expects that to double by 2018, to 81.7 million users.

Continue reading… “Wearable usage in the U.S. will jump almost 60% in 2015”

A look into the future of hospitality and coworking

coworking hotel

What if you could book a room at a hotel where you choose your actual room, when you first book the space. It would be similar to choosing a seat on an airline seating chart. The difference is that instead of choosing a window or an aisle, you choose high or low floors, close proximity to the elevators, your preferred bed configuration, and even your room category, depending on size and view: “Smart Street,” “Smart Garden” or “Smart Maisonette” (two-level suite). Welcome to the Hotel Schani in Vienna, Austria!

If you’re looking for a refreshing new coworking community to join, check out the futurist tech community at the DaVinci Institute in Westminster, CO.

Continue reading… “A look into the future of hospitality and coworking”

Discover the Hidden Patterns of Tomorrow with Futurist Thomas Frey
Unlock Your Potential, Ignite Your Success.

By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.

Learn More about this exciting program.