Paul Young, a CPA and expert in financial solutions, risk management, and supply chain management, authored a report on US retail sales in October 2017. The report summarized that overall retail sales increased unexpectedly due to automobile purchases. It also discussed the growth of ecommerce startups using technologies like drone delivery and augmented reality to improve online shopping experiences. Williams-Sonoma acquired an AR company to allow customers to virtually preview home furnishings using their mobile devices. Augmented reality has the potential to transform in-store shopping and online retail sales by improving product visualization and discovery.

1. OCTOBER 2017 - RETAIL
SALES - UNITED STATES
BY: PAUL YOUNG, CPA, CGA
DATE: NOVEMBER 17, 2017

2. PAUL YOUNG - BIO
• CPA, CGA
• Financial Solutions
• SME – Risk Management
• SME – Close, Consolidate and Reporting
• SME – Public Policy
• SME – Financial Solutions
• SME – Supply Chain Management
Contact information:
Paul_Young_CGA@Hotmail.com

3. AGENDA
• Retail Sales Summary – October 2017
• Retail Sales Summary (Key Segments) – October 2017
• Online Sales / October 2017
• eCommerce Start ups
• Augment and Virtual Reality / Home Furnishing

4. RETAIL SALES – SUMMARY – OCTOBER 2017
Source - https://www.census.gov/retail/marts/www/marts_current.pdf

5. RETAIL SALES – SUMMARY – OCTOBER 2017
Source - https://www.census.gov/retail/marts/www/marts_current.pdf

6. ONLINE SALES / OCTOBER 2017
Source - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-economy-retail/u-s-retail-sales-
unexpectedly-rise-on-automobile-purchases-idUSKBN1DF1XC?il=0
Is this a blip?

7. ECOMMERCE START UPS / 2018
Source - http://www.zdnet.com/article/four-startups-that-are-poised-to-
revolutionize-e-commerce-in-2018/
• Drone Delivery: Flytrex - Drone delivery is already available, albeit in limited markets.
Flytrex, a drone logistics company, is well on the way to changing that.
• Making entertainment a shopping experience: SPOTT - Spott's technology makes content
interactive, enabling users to search through scenes from shows and movies to find out
exactly what item is being used. From cooking utensils to fine suits, Chicago-based Spott
shares brand and price information with users and enables quick purchases.
• Advance Robotic Systems - 6 River Systems, founded by former Kiva execs and based in
Waltham, MA, has created an advanced warehouse robot named Chuck.
• Micro-fulfillment: Common Sense Robotics Contemporary supply chains rely on
economies of scale. Common Sense Robotics, another Israeli company, wants to change
that. Instead of retailers storing most of their inventory in large warehouses far removed
from population centers, CSR utilizes advanced AI and robotics to enable retailers to
store and process much of their inventory in strategic locations in close proximity of last-
mile delivery.

8. AUGMENT AND VIRTUAL REALITY
Source - https://www.recode.net/2017/11/16/16666662/williams-sonoma-
outward-acquisition-ar-augmented-reality-3d-images-pottery-barn-west-elm

9. HOW WITH AR TRANSFORM RETAIL SALES
Source - https://blippar.com/en/resources/blog/2017/11/15/retail-meets-ar-predictions-how-ar-
will-transform-purchase/