51 Companies That Are Changing The Way We Shop

With the advent of e-commerce, retail is changing more than nearly any other industry. 
In this evolving environment, a few trailblazers have set themselves apart, and are revolutionizing the way we perceive and consume retail.
Some retailers have altered their merchandising strategies to accommodate today's fast-paced shoppers. Others are making e-commerce more personalized than ever. 
These 51 companies are changing the entire shopping experience, from what happens in stores to how customers find goods online.
Our list includes everything from multinational corporate heavyweights to innovative new start-ups that launched recently. 

Hointer is taking humans out of stores.

www.hointer.com

Headquarters: Seattle, Washington
Year founded: 2012
Why it's revolutionary: Led by former head of supply chain and fulfillment tech for Amazon, Nadia Shouraboura, Hointer is changing the way you shop for clothes by using a robotic sales staff. You download an app, go to the showroom, and scan the QR codes of the clothing you'd like to try. The clothes are delivered automatically right to the fitting room, customers swipe their card on the tablet, and walk out.

Zara is altering how the fashion business works.

Headquarters: Arteixo, Spain
Year founded: 1975
Why it's revolutionary: Zara's revolutionary strategy includes stocking light and replenishing with totally new products. As a result, the top fashion houses have started creating even more collections. Zara's fast-fashion outlook is appropriate for the short attention span of today's consumer, and the retailer is expanding globally. 

STORY provides an interactive, physical experience for brands and retailers.

STORY

Headquarters: Manhattan, New York
Year founded: 2011
Why it's revolutionary: STORY is a retail space that completely changes every four to eight weeks and gives e-commerce sites like Birchbox a physical store. STORY began as "A Startup Store" in 2011. The business model is the first of its kind, not only because of how it brings e-commerce to life, but because STORY includes paid brand partners who ‘sponsor’ different iterations.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/companies-revolutionizing-retail-2013-2?op=1#ixzz2KFGpmqWu