Monday, 9 May 2011

Tech is the word



In last Thursday’s Raconteur supplement about e-retail there was a list of ways that retailers are using mobile technology to improve the customer experience in-store (p.8-9). My favourite is the use of Radio Frequency Identification Tags on products so that you no longer have to queue up to pay; instead, sensors at the store door are able to pick up what you have in your bag or trolley and charge the correct amount to a pre-registered card. Certainly makes self-service check outs look like something out of the dark ages, although, having said that, I can imagine the automated system having a number of teething problems...

One of the other technological innovations mentioned was an application that enables customers to scan product barcodes a see a ‘video showing them how a product is made, information about its Fairtrade status or footage of catwalk shows’. A great way of empowering consumers to be more discerning about what they buy, and a great opportunity for manufacturers and retailers to showcase the responsible/sustainable credentials of their products. In any case, with all these new innovations in technology, there are going to be far fewer places to hide!

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