Starfleet Media is announcing five titles in its 2027 Retail Technology Smart Decision Guide™ series and inviting technology solution providers to explore limited sponsorship opportunities. Each program combines an independently produced research asset, targeted promotion and a guaranteed number of qualified leads through Starfleet Velocity.
Each guide is being independently produced by Starfleet Research, Starfleet Media’s globally recognized IT market research arm. The series will combine best-practices benchmarking with practical guidance for evaluating technology and improving operating performance.
The retail series draws on the Smart Decision Guide program’s successful publishing history spanning more than a decade. It brings that established approach to five distinct areas of retail investment: POS and unified commerce; inventory and fulfillment; loyalty and customer engagement; connected-store cybersecurity; and workforce management and store operations.
Each guide will contain all-new content reflecting the latest technology innovations and the practices of top-performing retailers. Practitioner research will examine connected platforms, AI, automation and analytics alongside the workflows, staff readiness and performance measures that help retailers achieve better results.
The focused titles give buyers room to examine the decisions that matter within each category. Selecting a commerce platform, improving stock availability and securing connected stores involve different requirements and measures of success. Dedicated guides will address those differences while examining how each investment fits the wider retail operation.
For sponsoring solution providers, that specificity creates a more direct connection between their capabilities and the problems prospective customers are working to solve. Sponsors will gain visibility within a relevant research category and a practical asset their sales and marketing teams can use to support informed buying decisions.
Explore the five titles below, or check current sponsorship availability and request a proposal. Retail practitioners are also invited to contribute to the independent research through the survey links accompanying each title.
The 2027 Smart Decision Guide™ to Retail POS and Unified Commerce
A connected commerce operation needs a consistent view of transactions, orders, stock and customers across channels. This guide will examine how retailers evaluate POS platforms alongside payments, digital commerce, order management and returns. Topics will include mobile and self-service checkout, continuity during connection failures, associate access to useful customer information and the integration needed to reduce duplicate work and improve service.
Retail professionals involved in these decisions can contribute to the POS and unified commerce survey.
The 2027 Smart Decision Guide™ to Retail Inventory Management and Omnichannel Fulfillment
A promise to a customer depends on knowing what is available and where it can be fulfilled. This guide will examine inventory accuracy, demand forecasting, replenishment and order routing across stores, warehouses and online channels. It will explore AI-assisted planning, item-level visibility, fulfillment costs and returns, with practical evaluation criteria tied to stockouts, cancellations, excess inventory and staff productivity.
Help inform the findings through the inventory management and omnichannel fulfillment survey.
The 2027 Smart Decision Guide™ to Retail Loyalty and Personalized Customer Engagement
A loyalty program earns its place when it helps create stronger customer relationships and additional profitable business. This guide will explore connected customer profiles, rewards, relevant offers and personalized communications across stores and digital channels. It will examine AI-assisted recommendations, associate tools, customer preferences and consent, along with how retailers assess whether their efforts produce incremental visits, sales and profit.
Share your operating experience in the loyalty and personalized customer engagement survey.
The 2027 Smart Decision Guide™ to Retail IoT and Connected-Store Cybersecurity
Connected devices need clear ownership, visibility and protection throughout their working lives. This guide will examine how retailers identify devices, manage access, separate networks, maintain software and respond to suspicious activity across store locations. It will also explore remote support and coordination among IT, security and operating teams, helping buyers evaluate protection alongside reliability, practical deployment and the demands of keeping stores running.
Retail professionals responsible for connected devices or security can contribute to the IoT and connected-store cybersecurity survey.
The 2027 Smart Decision Guide™ to Retail Workforce Management and Store Operations Solutions
A staffing plan must account for the work employees actually need to complete, from customer service to fulfillment and routine store tasks. This guide will examine demand forecasting, scheduling, time and attendance, skills, communications and task management. It will explore AI-assisted planning and employee self-service, with attention to manager workload, schedule quality, service levels and consistent execution across locations.
Help shape the research through the workforce management and store operations survey.
Independent research with a practical purpose
Starfleet Research’s best-practices benchmarking approach examines technology alongside workflows, staff readiness, integration, data and performance measures. It seeks to identify the practices that distinguish stronger-performing organizations and translate those findings into useful evaluation criteria and recommendations.
The research will draw on practitioners with direct experience in store operations, customer experience, inventory, technology and workforce decisions. Starfleet Research maintains editorial control of the guides, with a focus on objective analysis and practical value for technology decision-makers.
The research surveys are confidential, and findings will be reported only in aggregate. Respondents can request a complimentary copy of the relevant guide when it is published in 2027. The optional email address is used only to deliver that report. Names, contact details and identifiable survey responses will not be shared with sponsors or used for marketing.
Turn research visibility into qualified sales opportunities
Each multi-sponsored Smart Decision Guide program includes a lead generation campaign powered by Starfleet Velocity, with a guaranteed number of qualified leads based on the sponsor’s agreed target prospect criteria. For retail technology solution providers, the result is a program built around a specific buying need, with both sustained brand visibility and a defined commitment to prospect delivery.
Targeting can reflect retail company categories, store portfolios, operating models, decision-maker roles, geographies and other agreed requirements. Campaign leads are generated through dedicated content promotion and registration programs, then reviewed and validated against the agreed criteria before delivery.
Participating sponsors will receive branding within the guide, a company profile and perpetual licensing rights to an individually branded edition. Their teams can use the research in outreach, nurture campaigns and sales conversations, helping prospective customers evaluate their needs and move toward an informed purchase.
Promotion will include targeted outreach and additional promotion and distribution through Starfleet Media’s extended publication partner network, ensuring excellent brand visibility among relevant retail industry decision-makers.
Explore the 2027 Retail Technology series while sponsorships remain available
Sponsorship positions are limited, and some titles may already be fully committed by the time you read this announcement. Retail technology solution providers are encouraged to explore the titles most closely aligned with their capabilities, audiences and growth plans. Discuss guide selection, target prospect criteria, qualified lead commitments and campaign timing while sponsorship opportunities remain available.