In late October, I visited Tokyo for the first time to attend a retrospective of Marie Antoinette’s life sponsored by the Swiss watch brand Breguet. Amid the city’s Blade Runner–esque expanse of skyscrapers and ancient Shinto shrines, the dichotomy between past and future was impossible to ignore—especially on my last day, when I stumbled upon a fleet of shiny, chatty robots stationed in a retail store on the busy thoroughfare of Omotesand?. The scene reminded me how quickly tomorrow’s far-fetched inventions are becoming today’s reality. It was a thought-provoking place to be as I contemplated this issue, our last of 2016. On the brink of the new year, we’ve scoured the marketplace for the top 10 ideas, products, and trends that will influence the retail conversation next year. “A Very Good Year” is our hit list of what to expect in 2017. (Hint: Make way for ename