FieldNotes

250 Years of American Retail: From Handwritten Ledgers to AI Forecasting

250 Years of American Retail: From Handwritten Ledgers to AI Forecasting

Posted by FieldStack, July 01, 2026
Two hundred fifty years ago, there were no barcode scanners, loyalty apps, or online orders waiting to be picked up curbside. There weren't even cash registers.

Subscribe to FieldStack's Blog — FieldNotes

Posts about Retail Innovation

9 Signs Your Pet Store Software Integrations Can't Keep Up with Your Growth

As pet retailers grow across locations and channels, keeping systems aligned becomes increasingly important. Inventory, eCommerce, POS, loyalty, and fulfillment all need to work from the same ...

9 Powerful Multi-Store Retail Software Features Every Business Needs in 2026

Running a multi-location retail business is very different from running a single store. Once you have multiple locations, things get messy quickly. Inventory ends up in the wrong place, one store ...

The 5 Biggest Trends and Takeaways We Saw at Global Pet Expo 2026

Global Pet Expo 2026 gave us a clear view into where pet retail is heading. After spending time walking the floor, talking with retailers, and seeing which booths stayed consistently packed, a few ...

Penny Rounding on Cash Transactions: How FieldStack Makes It Easy

The penny elimination raised a lot of questions for retailers: How should rounding be applied? Where should it live in the transaction? And how do you implement it without affecting pricing or ...

How to Increase Sales in Retail: 10 Strategies for In-Store and eCommerce Growth

Retail has changed a lot over the past five years. Shoppers constantly move between browsing online, visiting stores, checking their phones for options, and deciding whether to pick up items or have ...

NRF 2026 Recap: AI, Unified Commerce, and the Future of In-Store Retail

Each January, NRF’s Big Show brings together retailers, tech providers, and industry leaders to share what’s happening now in retail and what’s coming next. At NRF 2026, keynotes, sessions, and ...

What Pet Retailers Can Take Away from NRF 2026

Many pet retailers plan their year around industry-specific events like Global Pet Expo and SuperZoo. These shows are invaluable for discovering new products, connecting with suppliers, and staying ...

5 Retail Trends That Show Where the Industry Is Headed in 2026

2026 doesn’t mark a new era for retail — it introduces a more demanding one. Many of the biggest retail trends right now aren’t new ideas or experimental technologies. They’re expectations that ...

The Top 5 FieldStack Blogs Retailers Read Most in 2025

As retail technology and shopper expectations continued to evolve in 2025, certain topics stood out among independent and multi-location retailers alike — from how to evaluate your tech stack to ...