As technology continues to infiltrate and integrate with our lives, the role of technology in real-world environments is still relatively undefined. Mobile commerce continues to grow, in most cases threatening rather than complementing the high-street. Is technology really the nemesis of bricks and mortar, or can the internet and connected devices improve offline shopping and leisure experiences in 2014?

These grey areas between the connected and real-world environments is where I currently operate, applying what I learnt in six years of mobile within the 25 year old 20.20 retail consultancy. Here are my Connected Retail predictions based on my current thinking, on what I helped 20.20 deliver in 2013 and some of the work already planned for 2014.

The direction and value of technology in retail and leisure spaces isn’t that clear, which is why I find it so interesting, and also why I’ve hedged my bets a bit…