Archive / Tech talk

What do consumers want from the Internet of Everything?

According to a recent survey by Cisco – ‘customers want a convenient, contextually relevant shopping experience’.

In the fifth annual Cisco® Consulting Services retail survey 1,240 retail consumers in the U.S. and U.K. gave their preferences for Internet of Everything (IoE) enabled retail experiences. Cisco has now highlighted the key points that retailers are encouraged to use to help capture the new digital consumer.

Joseph Bradley, Vice President & Founder IoT / IoE Practice commented

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The biggest and next retail technologies

RFID, 3D and omni-channel – the three technology key words that were on retail minds after the National Retail Federation Big Show, that took place in New York just recently.

RFID tags in products are being used behind the scenes to track stock and improve inventory accuracy by both Macy’s the US department store and Lululemon the sportswear brand. The tool is helping the retailers to ensure that all products are sold and upping sales figures as a result. Meanwhile elsewhere the technology is also being used front of house by footwear specialist Uggs as a means of boosting in-store experience. RFID enabled mats are able to rely additional product information to customers when a product is placed upon them.

3D technology is helping Tesco’s F&F clothing line to improve its design methods by way of 3D virtual prototyping, which helps clothes to fit better. Product returns are now going down. Tesco is also due to test image recognition technology that will check if a shelf is stacked correctly and take the pressure off of staff that would usually have to check manually. Now they can just take a picture and await feedback.

Omni-channel is seeing growth in two particular directions – integrated shopping scenarios like click and collect, and the use of digital experiences in store.

In addition five other stand out technology innovations were also noted at the show:

The Cicret Bracelet – wearable technology that when developed should take the place of a smart phone by projecting a virtual, touch screen onto the user’s wrist.
Samsung Gear – a virtual reality headset that will bring the high street stores to you, in the home, work place or while on the move.
3D printed headphones – an example of personalised products, in this case a set of headphones that fit the wearer’s ears.
The HAPIfork – a Bluetooth fork that tracks that speed at which the user eats their food, encouraging slower eating habits, which are better for you.
Smart toothbrush – a clever toothbrush that works with an app to time how long a user brushes their teeth and any hot spots they might of missed.

Going forward technology will continue to influence members of the retail industry as they strive to provide the most innovative and seamless shopping experiences. In the area we can expect to see the following five technology trends according

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What in store technologies are retailers buying for 2015?

Payment terminals/kiosks, digital signage, tablets, and traditional and mobile point-of-sale (PoS) hardware and software are the key purchases that retailers will be making in 2015.

According to RIS News, Store systems study 2015 that looks at retail technology spend trends, retailers plans to increase store IT are down on last year’s figures, but still on the agenda with traditional PoS remaining on top, but also declining. In addition to the retail technologies listed, an increased number of

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Technologies to watch in 2015

2014 wasn’t the year for all technologies and we believe that there are a few contenders that after having a promising start are the ones to watch for 2015.

Technologies to watch in 2015:

Beacon
This technology is working particularly well alongside mobile devices and apps as a means of promoting additional offers to consumers as well as useful information. Over the year, we saw a few techniques from generic communication to highly targeted messaging.

Grocer Waitrose for example used beacon technology with its app for general in-store marketing, providing the store with the opportunity to talk to its customer via their mobile device, typically a smart phone, as they shopped – aiming to improve the shopping experience and customer-store relationship.
Where as, department store House of Fraser sent highly targeted information to its customers by placing beacons in mannequins that would activate and send offers to customers’ mobiles as they walked past. The customer was told what the mannequin was wearing and could link to the store’s website to purchase the items online or follow directions to where the items were in store.
Meanwhile London’s Regent Street took a more indirect approach by using the technology to share information on its whole shopping environment and the retailers within. Local people and tourists that shopped there. Were told news such as new products, upcoming events and same day only offers.

Interactive mirror Retailers have

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Personalisation is the next step in omni-channel

Businesses, like shops, hotels and restaurants, are frequently advised by industry players to provide their customers with a seamless and consistent experience across all channels.

As a result, in this omni-channel and customer driven world, such demands are now becoming increasingly familiar from consumers too. For a ‘seamless experience’ is what today’s shoppers now expect and without out it, a business may not last until tomorrow.

By rising to this agenda retailers and the like are rewarded

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