As 2023 draws to a close, we added up the numbers to bring you a round-up of Retail Systems’ most popular stories of the year.

The top story was a feature article examining retailers’ approach to Environmental and Social Governance (ESG). While the concept has been around for some time, customers are demanding that their favourite retailers act sustainably when producing goods and services. Yet many companies are reluctant to publicly report the impact of their business on the environment.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models such as ChatGPT grew in popularity during 2023 , so it’s not surprising that that a feature about AI was one of the most read stories.

The article looked at the ways the technology has impacted the retail sector and how companies could be using it in the future to improve everything from supply chains to the customer experience.

In third place was a special feature for International Women’s Day looking at the experience of female leaders in the industry. Four women told Retail Systems about their success and offered advice for other women looking to make their mark.

Next up was an in-depth interview with Tony Craddock, founder and director general of The Payments Association. In the article he talked about a wide range of issues affecting the industry including the cost-of-living crisis and the future of the payments industry.

Finally in fifth place was the announcement of two new leadership roles at Shopify. Deann Evans was made the company’s managing director EMEA, having previously served as director of EMEA expansion and partnerships while Birk Angermann took on the role of head of revenue following a stint as head of global solutions engineering.

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