I know that I usually don't "self-promote" on the blog, but this article speaks to a number of reasons why the Brand Experience Lab was created in the first place! While everyone has been talking about convergence in the home, there is a real convergence happening in the retail space, driven by several factors:
The challenge that we have always found is how to learn about what's possible and what's coming, without setting up an expensive infrastructure in-house. By the time this kind of article hits the newsstand, the front runners have already taken their place. That's where Brand Experience Lab comes in. We wanted to create a place where companies could explore and experiment with emerging technologies in a very cost-effective manner. And do that exploration with people who understand the role that the brand must play in this exploration.
So, read the article and start learning all you can about the technologies that will be dramatically changing the way we engage consumers in the very near future. And, if you’re looking for the right tour guide, then give us a call and we’ll help you understand how technology will be impacting our retail environments today and tomorrow! While there is a great opportunity to reduce costs, there is also a great opportunity to use technology to create a better brand experience!
What's behind this shift to technology? With consumers growing more accustomed to the quick convenience of shopping on the Internet, bricks-and-mortar retailers are having to hustle like never before. They increasingly find that new technologies are often the only way to keep costs down while offering customers a better shopping experience. Buyers appreciate kiosks that can suggest the perfect recipe to go with white wine. And a self-checkout that halves the time spent waiting in line can be a big draw.
Add changing demographics, and the time is ripe for shopping to get a tech infusion. As the population ages, buyers look for technologies that offset their declining capabilities. Baby boomers, for example, like gadgets that make up for their deteriorating eyesight -- such as the hand-held scanner Food Lion is testing out that displays an item's price and description in larger type. "A lot of the high technology is really addressing some biological problems that our society is having," says Craig Childress, director of prototype design research at human-behavior consultancy Envirosell in New York.
BW Online | August 31, 2004 | How Retailers Are Turning to Tech
Comments