Online shopping and banking emerged around the same time in the mid-1990s, but arguably the retail industry has been faster to evolve and introduce new technologies, taking the in-store and web shopping experience to a new level by quickly harnessing new technology like QR codes and augmented reality. Financial institutions have been more cautious, held back by their own technology infrastructures and the limitations of legacy software, which is unable to cope with the demands of emerging cloud and mobile applications.

The larger industry also hasn't had the urgency to innovate. Unlike retailers, they haven't felt the squeeze of nimbler competitors looking to grab a share of their revenues. To date, many consumers have also been quite happy to take care of their banking and insurance needs the "old way." But as digital natives get ready to apply for their first mortgage, old methods won't assist tomorrow's expectations.

As mobile banking apps, contactless payments, the cloud and wearable technologies grow in popularity, more institutions are realizing they need to do more to keep up with consumers' needs. We're looking at a future where mobile transactions are expected to grow rapidly worldwide, having reached more than $47 billion in 2015.