The virtual NRF 2021 event commenced on January 12, and today, Microsoft marked its presence at "Retail's Big Show" through announcements regarding its Dynamics 365 platform. The tech giant has utilized the event to highlight its retail-related advancements in the past as well.
For starters, the business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce functionality for Dynamics 365 Commerce is now being publicly previewed, making the service a holistic retail platform that offers support for both B2B and business-to-consumer (B2C) transactional systems. Alongside this, Microsoft Cloud for Retail has been introduced as well, though further details regarding the service have not been made available for now.
Through the additional consumer capabilities on offer, businesses are noted to be able to "deliver consistent, personalized, and user-friendly purchasing options for all their customers". Other services in the Dynamics 365 platform, such as Sales and Customer Service, will also be closely integrated with the updated e-commerce functionalities, enabling retailers to provide self-service buying options and relevant offers for buyers as well.
A number of retailers have been highlighted by Microsoft as users of various Dynamics 365 services that combine to work better. These businesses include Kent Watersports, Columbia Sportswear, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Darden Restaurants, Mobilezone, and Monogram Foods. Over the course of this event, the tech giant will be showcasing how these Dynamics 365 services and Power Platform solutions are being utilized by the aforementioned businesses to advance retail.
Those who have registered for NRF 2021 can find out more regarding these updates by joining Shelley Bransten, Microsoft's CVP for Consumer Goods and Retail Industries at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. Further announcements regarding Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform will be posted at the official blog through the remainder of this week.
