Shelley Bransten articles

Shelley Bransten

Corporate Vice President, Global Retail, Consumer Goods and Gaming industries, Microsoft

Shelley Bransten, Corporate Vice President, Global Retail, Consumer Goods & Gaming industries, grew up in retail. She’s a passionate advocate for customers and works tirelessly to ensure they’re set up for success. During her time at Microsoft, she has overseen groundbreaking partnerships with leading brands and retailers across the globe. Shelley also sits on multiple boards including NRF, RILA, and Trove.

woman shopping while holding packages and looking at her device.

Published January 11, 2024

7 min read

Microsoft introduces new capabilities that help retailers bring AI to the shopper journey and enhance store associate experiences

Through new Microsoft Copilot capabilities in Microsoft products, copilot templates for building applications, and retail data solutions in Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft makes AI implementation more accessible to retailers of all sizes. Retailers can now more easily take the first steps with generative AI.

A store associate helps a customer using the Surface Pro 9 to check on inventory availability of a product.

Published December 11, 2023

4 min read

Join Microsoft at NRF 2024 and power your AI transformation

Join Microsoft at NRF 2024 to experience the next generation of AI and gain insights on how it’s already transforming retail—and learn about strategies you can use to embrace this wave of innovation.

A retail store associate helping a customer by searching for inventory on her shared device.

Published August 9, 2023

5 min read

How next-generation AI and digital tools transform the retail frontline

To thrive in this shifting landscape, we need our frontline workers more than ever. They’re the driving force behind the retail industry’s success. That’s why Microsoft is committed to building purpose-built solutions that empower these frontline heroes.

Store associates with devices, and an interior shot of a Zabka Nano store.

Published January 10, 2023

4 min read

Resilient Retail

Welcome to 2023—a new year packed with opportunities (and challenges) for all of us in the retail industry. During the past three years, we’ve experienced unprecedented economic, societal, and technological change, but for all that change one thing is clear—retailers are turning to digital technology like never before. Why?

Woman holds cell phone in front of retail storefront display with merchandise at night.

Published January 12, 2022

6 min read

Microsoft Cloud for Retail is now generally available

If the past two years have taught us anything, it’s that it will take all of us working together to ensure the future of retail is meeting today’s consumer needs. The world of retail has been forever shaped by new behaviors, and many are here to stay. Business-as-usual will no longer meet these expectations.

Woman holding Open sign in a small business boutique shop after Covid-19 pandemic

Published October 19, 2021

4 min read

Empowering retail’s real superheroes: Frontline workers

Like so many of you, I got my first job in a retail store (after babysitting) and like many around the world it was my first introduction to the workplace. Retail always has been and always will be a people business with many employed on retail’s frontline.

108075_MS_NRF_Cloud4Retail-BLOG_4000x2000-1

Published June 10, 2021

6 min read

Explore the new wave of cloud innovation at NRF Retail Converge

It is hard to believe summer is already here and I’m preparing for my BIG Ideas session at the upcoming virtual NRF Retail Converge event. Honestly, I can’t wait to talk more about ‘retail’s new clock speed’ and how we’re helping retailers unlock a new wave of cloud innovation.

woman in mask at the produce section of a grocery store. She is holding a paper bag and reaching for a red bell pepper

Published February 24, 2021

6 min read

Announcing Microsoft Cloud for Retail: Built for what’s next

2020 was the year in which we experienced disruptive change at a pace and a scale that we could never have imagined. Yet it was also the year in which many retailers embraced digital like never before.

Published January 27, 2021

2 min read

3 top takeaways from NRF 2021

This year’s National Retail Federation BIG show was something different—entirely virtual. But it came off quite smoothly, demonstrating how powerful digital transformation can be. It even had some advantages over an in-person event. I was able to see more sessions for one. And without aching feet.

rolls of fabric stacked on top of each other in shades of pink, red, purple, and teal

Published January 13, 2021

5 min read

Introducing Microsoft Cloud for Retail

If 2020 taught us anything, it was that no business is resilient to everything. But those that had laid their digital tracks early were better positioned to recover, and in some cases, even speed ahead. In fact, one retail expert said that we had “witnessed a 10-year evolutionary leap toward digital” in retailing. That’s quite a leap.

Published January 5, 2021

3 min read

4 ways to make the most of this year’s virtual NRF

NRF 2021 is going to be a first for all of us. I know I’m going to miss seeing many old colleagues and friends this month. NRF BIG Shows for me are just as much family reunion as they are industry conference. But as we’re all discovering, virtual conferences have some real advantages.

Published April 6, 2020

3 min read

Retail in the time of COVID-19

COVID-19 has impacted our lives in ways many of us couldn’t have imagined. From how we interact with our friends and family to working from home and so much more. For me personally, juggling the joys of homeschooling my teenage boys with a packed work schedule has been a true personal test.