Retail is going through difficult times and is suffering the consequences of both the economic crisis and the digitization of society. But fundamentally, there is a bigger problem: stores cannot keep up with the changing behavior of customers who are connected 24/7, customers for whom there is no distinction between online and offline. Retailers urgently need new business models if they want to stay relevant in a world dominated by marketplaces and sharing platforms. They need to transform into digital network organizations, but with human dimensions. The end of online shopping is the dawn of a new era, a new economy of always connected retail. This book provides an excellent overview of shopping trends and developments worldwide, offering an indispensable peek into the future of retail. "This book is an important read for all who play in the influential and ever-evolving global retail industry." - Matthew Shay, President and CEO of the National Retail Federation "Wijnand is one of the most authoritative leaders in e-commerce today. A must-read!" - Brian McBride, CEO of Asos.com "A great book for those who want an insight into the change that is happening in the e-commerce industry and the future ahead." - Yasui Yoshiki, Founder and CEO of Origami .com "Wijand Jongen has distilled all the core topics of retail, from mobile shopping to artificial intelligence to the sharing economy to Amazon and Alibaba, into one readable and engaging book that is a must-read for anyone in the world who is in the retail industry." - Sucharita Mulpuru, World-renowned retail industry analyst About the author: Wijnand Jongen is a globally recognized author, keynote speaker and futurist on topics in retail and e-commerce. He is co-founder and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Ecommerce Europe and founder and CEO of the Dutch e-commerce association Thuiswinkel.org. He is a member of FIRAE , an alliance of global retail industry leaders with strong ties to the American National Retail Federation (NRF). In the mid-1990s, Jongen was co-founder and CEO of Macropolis, the first Dutch online shopping portal. Jongen attended the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and Randolph-Macon College and Averett University in the United States.