What Apple’s updates will mean for retailers

Apple’s iPhone 7 and iOS 10 announcement coming on Sept. 7 could mean new updates with high potential upsides for retail brands.

It’s a long time coming: Retailers have had a hard time adapting to user behavior on mobile. While the customers are spending more time on their phones as they browse online and shop in stores, the devices haven’t become the bridge between the digital and physical realms that people thought they’d be. For one, mobile apps are a walled garden of sorts, useful only to those who actually download and use it. As for push notifications, it’s been a challenge to get customers to opt in to them and keep them from opting out.