The technology transforming the retail industry

One of the few retail spaces that is not yet making way to the showrooming craze fuelled by omni-channel is supermarkets.

But supermarkets are also one of the places that could be most vulnerable to fickle customer behaviour if the consumer does not feel properly catered to, as a lot of competition exists in the space.

As part of the 2015 World Expo in Milan, Accenture and Coop partnered to showcase the future of supermarket technology.

As well as technologies including robotic sorting arms for selecting and packing goods, the exhibit showcased interactive smart-screens that listed information about products in particular areas of the supermarket.

By using Xbox Kinect cameras, the screens can assess items held up by customers and list more facts about those products including nutritional content, allergens and the food’s carbon footprint.

But supermarkets are not entirely immune from omni-channel – the customer’s smartphone also plays a huge part in the supermarket store experience, directing customers around the store, tying in loyalty and bridging the bag between online and offline.