Here are some of the changes we'll soon all experience:
Transparent screens
Storefront windows will become interactive, revolutionising the architecture of high streets. Instead of simply displaying goods, these screens will enable shoppers to see entire catalogues, forthcoming offers and new ranges by tapping a fingers on the glass – even when the shop is closed. These new transparent screens, recently developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will also allow for a wider viewing angle and video footage. They can also be installed as dressing room mirrors, supplying useful information about products without obstructing the customer's view.
Storefront windows will become interactive, revolutionising the architecture of high streets. Instead of simply displaying goods, these screens will enable shoppers to see entire catalogues, forthcoming offers and new ranges by tapping a fingers on the glass – even when the shop is closed. These new transparent screens, recently developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will also allow for a wider viewing angle and video footage. They can also be installed as dressing room mirrors, supplying useful information about products without obstructing the customer's view.
Hologram departments
Because of the relative ease of creating and installing holograms and augmented reality technology, such devices will soon be commonplace. Holograms in changing rooms will enable shoppers to try on clothes without the need to get undressed. Smart glasses will also allow shoppers to use hologram technology to assess whether certain foods contain ingredients to which they might be allergic.
Because of the relative ease of creating and installing holograms and augmented reality technology, such devices will soon be commonplace. Holograms in changing rooms will enable shoppers to try on clothes without the need to get undressed. Smart glasses will also allow shoppers to use hologram technology to assess whether certain foods contain ingredients to which they might be allergic.
Holograms can also save retailers space: there will be no need for mannequins, shelves and racks. Technology will allow for virtual, eye-catching displays as well as constantly changing sale items in specific areas of the shop floor. For example, if you choose a dress, there will be a hologram image of a must-have accessory item that will match it perfectly.
Connected shelves
Floor space is limited. Commuters in particular don't want to buy and carry home their shopping after a hard day in the office. This is why a South Korean trial in Homeplus supermarket is so exciting. Next to a Seoul train station, people scan QR codes on "smart" shelves with theirmobile phones, buy the products with a single click and then order a delivery time – without touching a physical item.
Floor space is limited. Commuters in particular don't want to buy and carry home their shopping after a hard day in the office. This is why a South Korean trial in Homeplus supermarket is so exciting. Next to a Seoul train station, people scan QR codes on "smart" shelves with theirmobile phones, buy the products with a single click and then order a delivery time – without touching a physical item.
But such technology can go even further. Mondelez International recently experimented with sensors on smart shelves, using technology developed by Microsoft for its Kinect gaming tool, to track the age and gender of passing shoppers so that offers can be instantly displayed to match the assumed desires of that demographic.
Robot revolution
Advances in robotics will mean both greater efficiency within the retail sector and also a greater need for properly trained staff with true brand enthusiasm. For example, AndyVision, a robot developed as a joint venture between Carnegie Mellon University and Intel, can create an inventory of products in real time, marketing them in-store and making one-off promotions. There's also an American pizzeria that uses a replica human robot to promote its products. But these aren't advances to be feared in terms of staffing; although the shopping process will become more mechanised, it will mean human interaction will be even more valuable.
Advances in robotics will mean both greater efficiency within the retail sector and also a greater need for properly trained staff with true brand enthusiasm. For example, AndyVision, a robot developed as a joint venture between Carnegie Mellon University and Intel, can create an inventory of products in real time, marketing them in-store and making one-off promotions. There's also an American pizzeria that uses a replica human robot to promote its products. But these aren't advances to be feared in terms of staffing; although the shopping process will become more mechanised, it will mean human interaction will be even more valuable.
Speed Shopping
The smartest navigation tools won't be in the car but in your pocket. For example, the kind of cognitive technology possessed by IBM's artificial intelligence robot, Watson. You'll soon walk into the supermarket, having input your shopping list on a mobile app, which will then link to instorebeacons (technology that can pinpoint your location instore). Within seconds, you'll be sent a map of the store and the order in which you can pick up your desired goods in as short a time as possible, knowing where the queues are, which aisles are congested and if any products are close to selling out.
The smartest navigation tools won't be in the car but in your pocket. For example, the kind of cognitive technology possessed by IBM's artificial intelligence robot, Watson. You'll soon walk into the supermarket, having input your shopping list on a mobile app, which will then link to instorebeacons (technology that can pinpoint your location instore). Within seconds, you'll be sent a map of the store and the order in which you can pick up your desired goods in as short a time as possible, knowing where the queues are, which aisles are congested and if any products are close to selling out.
Personalised prices
Some stores will no longer have public pricing. Instead, vast instore data mines will know all they can about an individual – where they shop, what they buy, their income and brand loyalty, and then use that profile and purchase history to give the customer a better deal. Safeway supermarket has just begun a trial in the US: the Just For U scheme leverages all this cloud-based material to create individually tailored pricing, making shopping an more meaningful experience.
Some stores will no longer have public pricing. Instead, vast instore data mines will know all they can about an individual – where they shop, what they buy, their income and brand loyalty, and then use that profile and purchase history to give the customer a better deal. Safeway supermarket has just begun a trial in the US: the Just For U scheme leverages all this cloud-based material to create individually tailored pricing, making shopping an more meaningful experience.
http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2014/jun/25/six-ways-technology-changing-shopping
//Daniela
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