retail technology

January 21, 2008 Already much more than a simple communications device, technologies are emerging that will see the ubiquitous mobile phone become an interactive retailing platform. The latest example from StoreXperience is a solution that offers the ability to convert any camera-equipped mobile phone handset into a personal shopping assistant using an interactive bar code system. Read More

January 16, 2008 Despite the company name, Micro Industries® new release screen is anything but small. The high-definition (1080p) Touch&Go Messenger 65 is geared for retail customers to create interactive in-store messaging on a super-sized 65” screen. Read More

November 23, 2007 Tangent Inc. has announced the release of a group of ultra slim, industrial strength touch screen PCs called the VITA K Series. The all-in-one PCs feature dust-free, water-proof front bezels, VESA wall-mount brackets, and 15, 17 or 19 inch LCD displays with NEMA 3/IP55 dust and water proofing. The metal enclosures not only look smart, they are also energy efficient and industrial strength for use in healthcare, industrial automation, digital signage, information kiosk and self-service check-outs roles, and other applications exposed to hostile environments. Read More

September 19, 2007 We’ve all seen the seemingly ubiquitous eye in the sky cameras watching us from store ceilings and most of us have probably wondered if anyone actually monitors those things. In an effort to improve the efficiency of such surveillance, Intellivid has developed a Computer Aided Tracking (CAT) tool that incorporates a newly patented adjacency algorithm. The technology uses sophisticated video analytics to streamline video surveillance, giving the ability to seamlessly track in-store movements and create complete end-to-end footage. Read More

July 26, 2007 Pay-at-the-pump petrol is a great convenience for drivers, but it sucks profit away from the retailers who derive the majority of profit from convenience store sales. Petrol buyers are the perfect target for point-of-sale advertising – they’re already out of their car, and what’s another five dollars of snacks or coffee on top of a $50 fill-up? To combine the best of these scenarios and catch more of these disposable dollars, a global partnership between three market giants is about to target every petrol customer in 115 countries with a sophisticated video advertising campaign right at the pump, and it promises to change the gas station experience for good. Read More

June 14, 2007 A knowledgeable store assistant who knows what to suggest at the right time can mean the difference between a t-shirt sale and a whole outfit - not to mention making shopping a much more pleasant experience for the consumer. Motorola have just released the fascinating new MC17 handheld device for retail outlets that acts as a virtual shop assistant as a customer carries it around a store. Customers can use it to locate items, check pricing, options and availability, see related or complementary items, scan coupons and even whizz through the checkout process - and it's an ideal platform for intelligent cross-promotion and pinpoint-targeted advertising. Read More

June 7, 2007 Presentations are leveraged interpersonal communication and we’re a great believer in having the most effective tools for the job when you have the attention of so many important people at the same time. We love stories about how expertise gained in one industry can be applied to another and the hook with this story is that JACO has been providing point-of-care wireless carts to hospitals worldwide for several decades. The company has now applied its engineering and manufacturing expertise to fill a market void for presentation systems aimed at education, hospitality and professional service firms. The top-of-the-range, 42-inch, height-adjustable Premier System has an integrated computer, high speed WiFi, wireless keyboard/mouse and a battery supply so it offers true mobility without ever requiring the system to be powered down. Moving a complete presentation system from where it is to where it is needed has never been easier. Indeed, it could also be the mobile desktop which you move around the office or home to suit your needs. It could also be adapted to become a mobile DJ system, a mobile home theater system a retail technology merchandising system ... big possibilities with this product. Read More

May 8, 2007 Retail tracking solutions provider Paxar has been thinking slightly outside the square in coming up with its consumer-facing item-level RFID solution, magicmirror. For brands and retailers, magicmirror means the ability to touch customers on an emotional level and positively influence their purchasing decisions. When a customer or sales associate brings an RFID-tagged piece of clothing in front of the magicmirror, it automatically displays rich personalized information including brand messaging, garment description, size and color availability, as well as mix-and-match guides that suggest other items for accessorizing a wardrobe. When installed in the fitting room, customers can request immediate assistance from a salesperson by simply touching the magicmirror, without ever having to leave the room. Read More

June 22, 2006 This is a rendering of a concept device that may or may not be a killer app. SmartShopper is an automated grocery shopping list device that will use voice recognition technology to store, and intelligently aggregate lists for shopping and errands, then print the list. According to the company's co-founder Richard G. Brindisi, "the user simply presses a button on the unit and says the name of a grocery item they will need on their next visit to the store. The unit has an LCD and an embedded thermal printer that actually prints the list right out of the unit. The list will be printed according to the categories in the grocery store, i.e. all of the produce items will be listed together, frozen foods together, etc. The unit comes with nearly 2,000 grocery items already entered and the user can add their own favorite items or brands." Now on one hand, it’s easy to see this functionality being incorporated into a Palm pilot, Windows CE device or built into almost anything with a microprocessor, so it won’t exist without competition. But on the other hand, it is designed for people to keep track of things without having to use a computer, could be used by the technologically-dysfunctional, it’s small and handy, could be used driving a car … and there's a demo of the device here. Read More