[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/03\/06\/retailers-technology-future-trends\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/03\/06\/retailers-technology-future-trends\/","headline":"Bringing ideas and technology together creates new tools for retailers","name":"Bringing ideas and technology together creates new tools for retailers","description":"If there is one constant theme in retail innovation, it\u2019s how ideas and advances can Make Things Easy. And this is as much true for businesses as it is consumers. Clever technology means that robots \u2013 such as the automated piece-picking arm made by Righthand Robotics\u2013 are a realistic partner for e-commerce, easily integrated to […]","datePublished":"2017-03-06","dateModified":"2023-01-24","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/jack-dyson\/#Person","name":"Jack Dyson","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/jack-dyson\/","identifier":152,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0d3b4b398e8aea3b7b406b7f646a735eb4ec2827c327fa6570e9ce500329a73a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0d3b4b398e8aea3b7b406b7f646a735eb4ec2827c327fa6570e9ce500329a73a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/thumbnail-aa96f990e160ae8b4ecc6f63e3d17647.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/thumbnail-aa96f990e160ae8b4ecc6f63e3d17647.jpeg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/03\/06\/retailers-technology-future-trends\/","about":[{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/","name":"Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commerce","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q26643"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/trends-commerce\/","name":"Trends","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fad","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q787045"]}],"wordCount":775,"articleBody":"If there is one constant theme in retail innovation, it\u2019s how ideas and advances can Make Things Easy. And this is as much true for businesses as it is consumers. Clever technology means that robots \u2013 such as the automated piece-picking arm made by Righthand Robotics\u2013 are a realistic partner for e-commerce, easily integrated to order fulfillment lines. Direct-to-object printing from Xerox\u00a0means retailers can print images on a variety of 3D objects and textures, making personalization quicker than ever. Fashion is charting a similar course, with Thursday Finest\u00a0offering straight-to-consumer, custom garments made by its \u201c3D-knitting robot\u201d.These aren\u2019t things you\u2019ll find at some “shop of the future” event. They are things you can get now. And they are the tip of the iceberg. There are customer service robots, gamifications that use AR to put \u201cvirtual\u201d furniture in your home to try before you buy\u2026the list goes on. The technology they use isn\u2019t brand new, but the combination of affordability and application is. Retail, so often the front line for consumers to experience technology, is putting theory into action.Footwear has perhaps the prettiest examples of how putting the customer first can solve some of the business\u2019s more gristly goals. Kegan Schouwenburg, CEO and co-founder of SOLS, uses combinations of technology to answer the question: \u201cHow can I find shoes that fit?\u201dShe paints a picture of the size of the problem \u2013 and the opportunity \u2013 in just a couple of stats. First off, she says standard sizing is a nightmare. There can be up to two size changes between shoes in the same size, and 53 percent of people are wearing the wrong shoe size. Small wonder that there is a 30 percent return rate online for shoes \u2013 80 percent of which are due to poor fit and 75 percent result in refunds. \u201cThis is an industry in which 15 percent of people who buy online and don\u2019t get a shoe that fits as expected is a good result.\u201dSOLS developed SIZERIGHT, which uses iPhone and a standard piece of paper to measure your feet. It\u2019s simple and easy, giving potential buyers a true measurement and allowing retailers to make informed recommendations both online and in-store. \u201cIt impacts the e-commerce experience, but also retail and inventory,\u201d she says. \u201cImagine going into a shop and the salesperson saying \u2018Hi x, welcome to the store, these are the shoes that are going to fit you that we have in stock.\u2019\u201d It impacts design too, allowing manufacturers to look at the data and design according to the feet of people who want to buy running shoes, walking boots or whatever. \u201cThe problem is solved at the start rather than at the end.\u201d Imagine shopping for Omnia leather furniture for example, where you can virtually see the sizing against your own apartment? Apps of this genre are growing in popularity, giving the customer exactly what they want.This perspective, the idea of using technology to catch people at the actual point of purchase and make that experience easier is finding its way onto our roads too. General Motors and IBM have joined forces to create what they call a cognitive mobility platform: OnStar Go. Launching April 2017, it uses Watson to create that “Knight Rider” moment, with the auto in a leading role as trusted co-pilot. As you\u2019d expect, it links the car\u2019s systems (traction control, telematics etc) with OnStar and The Weather Company, but future iterations will also see it link with and choreograph all mobile touchpoints.This means as well as knowing how many seatbelts are clicked in your car, things like buying while mobile and intuitive curbside pickup are easier. So if you\u2019re on your way to a store, the store can see you\u2019re on your way and get your stuff ready and load it for you. Or if you\u2019re on your way home from work it can remind you to pick up things from your shopping list at the right exit, so you don\u2019t need to go out again. It\u2019s all about making your experience on the road easier, more enjoyable and more efficient.Innovation is no panacea, but it does give businesses options for delivering better, more enjoyable experiences that engage customers like never before. One of these is to put into practice what the tech scene and future forecasters have been theorizing \u2013 and whether a clever start-up or a major player, the best time to improve your customers\u2019 lives is right now.  Tariffs. Supply chains.Customer expectations. C-suite expectations. Everything you need for retail success, none of the fluff.Download the market analysis\u00a0HERE."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2017","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"03","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/\/03\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"06","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/\/03\/\/06\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Bringing ideas and technology together creates new tools for retailers","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/03\/06\/retailers-technology-future-trends\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]