NEW YORK CITY-With social media, smart phones and generally improving technology, there are more ways than ever for stores to reach the consumer. It also means that consumers have more choices than ever before as well, making competition a lot tougher and the shopper increasingly discerning about what they want to purchase.

"This business in the 30s and 40s and 50s was not that complex," said Cathy Green, president of the Food Lion chain of grocery stores. Green and others spoke here at the National Retail Federation's 100th annual national convention.

This complexity can help retailers learn more about the consumer than ever before, but consumers also have more choices than ever. "We need this 360 degree view of the customer," said Peter Sachse, CMO of Macy's. "It's a wonderful thing to say but very difficult to get done."

Some things haven't changed that much though. Sure, we live in a more global society, but customers still have local needs and preferences, Green said.

On the flip side of that, as the playing field gets more and more crowded in the US, more American retailers are going to look for other avenues of growth. "Going overseas is going to be the way to go for a lot of retailers," said Ira Kalish, global director of Deloitte Research.

NOTES: Mayor Michael Bloomberg proclaimed it National Retail Week here to commemorate the conference's 100th anniversary. Retail executives planned to ring the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange. Chains set to receive awards at the convention include Nordstrom, the Container Store, Urban Outfitters, and the Arcadia Group, which owns Topshop and other stores.