RIS produced a half-day event in conjunction with the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in LA that led with a focus group of five 18-23 year olds sharing their opinions on how and where they like to shop, what influences their behavior, how they consume media, and how they like to be marketed to. What we found was that these kids' lives are not too dissimilar to other generations operating in the world of business and some data points were extremely interesting.

A common theme of "share, collaborate and participate" was ever vibrant at the Retail Technology Conference. Speakers shared pain points and opportunities from best practices, product deployments, and technology trends that will help retailers reap the benefits.

At Rock & Roll Retail, 250 industry executives witnessed four bands made up of retailers, solution providers and analysts shed their "vendor" or "retailer" titles and let music define them.

Helping retailers evolve to the "new normal" involves engaging not only their customers but their entire ecosystem. That's the message from NRF education chief Eric Olson, who reveals how the Big Show's educational offerings support this Big Theme. And while he doesn't like to play favorites, he also revealed his picks for the show's must-attend sessions as well as logistical improvements that are new for 2012.

Innovation hasn't been a traditional retail priority, but today's non-linear shoppers and the consumerization of technology are forcing retailers to participate in the new innovation economy.