In a lot of ways, the future is exciting. Especially when we think about science and technology. Inventions and technological advances are going to influence our way of seeing life and doing things, and this includes shopping.
We could say that we are already living in a time of change with respect to our relationship with brands and the way we shop. It’s very different to what our parents and grandparents did just a couple of decades ago. Is this how we’re going to continue? What will shopping be like in the coming years?
New Technologies: Critical to Retail’s Future
Technological advances and discoveries are influencing the development of marketing and retail. Augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and the development of applications and devices, all of which are ever present in our day-to-day lives. And the fact is they’re here to stay.
To understand this better, we’ll look at how they will influence shopping the most:
· Interaction With The Shopper
This point is of crucial importance, as it also helps to improve the customer’s shopping experience. We’re talking about features like sensors or a beacon that detect each customer and it allows personalizing the presentation of products, offers, and promotions.
An example of what is already being implemented in many stores are product advisors, or interactive recommenders, which analyze and compare products, as well as give you additional recommendations to increase cross-sales.
These aren’t the only innovations like this. They are also starting to introduce voice recognition applications, facial recognition and interactive mirrors for testing, all of which will not only give customers assistance and recommendations but also will let them communicate directly with store staff for more direct and efficient service.
· Payment Systems
In addition to mobile devices and banking applications, payment systems that are already in full force in many countries and businesses, there is also a trend towards automatic payment methods, in which the customer gets their products and takes them, paying without going through the cash register.
This will be possible, again, thanks to technologies like facial recognition, in which stores will have a file on each customer and they will be recognized automatically when they leave the store.
· Store Layout Optimization and Automation
Given physical spaces in stores are more limited, furniture design and the introduction of technological features that favor efficiency and versatility is something that has been going on for some time. A current example of how technology is applied like this are holographic displays, which show the products that are not physically available, especially those that may be too bulky or that require customized manufacturing.
Soon we will also see smart furniture, identifying empty spaces or where the product is missing so that it can quickly be restocked from the warehouse. These spaces have been using robots for internal transport for some time, and it’s not out of the question that in the near future, this type of technology will make its way to the consumer side of things too. We’re talking about things like smart carts that not only allow for communication and interaction with the customer through small screens, but also it will follow them through different sections of the store until the moment they exit.
