The next decade will bring even more disruption as digital transformation informs it all.

Improving the customer experience was the top-ranked priority of more than 14,000 marketers and ecommerce professionals surveyed by Econsultancy for its 2017 Digital Intelligence Briefing, and a key point of differentiation will involve focusing on the Internet of Things (IoT), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

Beacons have sometimes gotten a bad rap but with "always on" consumers, their ability to deliver personalized customer experiences in the moment makes them well worth experimentation.

Ecommerce has taken over so much of the retail landscape. Malls and stores are closing because Amazon is trouncing them. This can drive opportunity for small businesses because a lot of that real estate will be developed and occupied by independents.

If the future of customer experience looks anything like Nike On Demand, we've got a lot to look forward to.

Many follow-up customer surveys are just a drag but it doesn't have to be that way. We spoke with Jordy Leiser, CEO of Stella Service, about new ways to look at these tools that go beyond asking people to answer 30 questions.

How does a brand make sure the product experience matches the marketing experience? Communication is key - especially with customers. A diverse panel of marketers explored that topic and more during a panel on customer experience at the MediaPost Brand Marketers Insider Summit last week.

The world of customer service has an awards program of its own and it's called the Stevies. Part of the program is a worldwide public vote and this year's customer choice award for retail went to Chewy, the pet supply purveyor.

Personalization ranks front and center of the initiatives retailers are planning to add so they can improve the customer experience based on new research from Boston Research Partners about customer engagement at the point of sale.

I once lived in an apartment building with a nicely equipped gym on the ground floor. This convenience still left me unable to establish the discipline for a regular cardio routine. The people at Peloton Cycle know this.