There are many factors to success in the world of retail – the right product, the perfect store design and a seamless supply chain. There is another element which increases a retailer’s standing among consumers and that is technology. Elevating retailers among peers and changing his impression among consumers are payment, checkout and loyalty programs, factors that are extremely signifi cant in helping businesses thrive. Retailers today are working towards fusing loyalty with payments technology to simplify shopping for the customer. Over time, customer loyalty programs have evolved and are built into payment systems, relying more on technology than ever before. The idea is to give customers more of what they want and reward them for repeat business, and they will keep coming back. Couple these with cashier-, queue-less checkouts and retailers have a winning combination. The focus issue of IMAGES Retail’s October 2019 issue is the ‘Relevance of Payment, Checkout and Loyalty Programs’. The magazine brings readers insights into why these are noteworthy components in the world of retail, and why brands which ignore it do at their own cost. Aside from this, the edition delves into the success of two big brands like Alibaba, Amazon and aLL, analysing how the brands are successfully making an impact in the world of retail. There is also an indepth feature on brands and their global expansion plans. The issue also brings readers the scoop on sustainability, and how brands are working towards redefi ning the world of fashion retail, fostering change to both products as well as the entire system towards greater ecological integrity and social justice. As always, we hope you fi nd this issue informed and benefi cial.