While we’re only a few days into 2017, it seems every news outlet and marketing research blog I browse is trumpeting that this is the year that retailers must fully embrace change – specifically advanced technology – to compete with online companies.
While thinking about the future of brick-and-mortar earlier this week, I sat down to read Associated Press retail writer Anne D’Innocenzio’s recent article, “Here come ‘smart stores’ with robots, interactive shelves.” The article looks at companies already experimenting with “futuristic retail stores” (Kroger, Neiman Marcus and Lowe’s, to name a few) and details five technologies that may be coming to a store near you: smart shelves; robots; interactive mirrors; virtual and augmented reality; and self-checkouts. According to the article, many of these technologies were demonstrated at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas earlier this month.
So, what will the stores of the future look like? Think digitalized price tags, robots greeting shoppers, virtually trying on jeans and so much more. If used correctly, new tech will be luring consumers back to brick-and-mortar stores and boosting in-store spend.
D’Innocenzio shares evidence that much of this push is coming from the need to compete with Amazon. In the article, Robert Hetu, research director at Gartner Research said, “Amazon, for good or bad, has been setting the path. Each retailer is going to have to respond in some way. But it’s not one-size-fits-all.”
The article makes note of the January 2017 opening of Amazon’s experimental grocery store in Seattle as one example, but also points to the influence tech-savvy consumers have on the push for advances in tech. All factors marketing researchers working within the retail space know well.
While reading the piece, I couldn’t help but ask myself: Will companies turn to marketing research when looking to become the smart stores of the future? What research should brands be conducting to take full advantage of tech and keep brick-and-mortar stores open?
I recommend reading the full article for a detailed look at what retailers are doing to bring online shoppers back into stores.