Ready or Not, Here Comes Retail IoT

To take this further into the realm of IoT, it can be a webcam that scans you and takes your measurements. Looking to the future, maybe we can all be measured by drones flying over us at the mall. That way we know exactly what size to look for when we go to any store that communicates with the drone.

In brick-and-mortar stores, retailers are trying to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere by using smart signs that can adapt their offerings to suit the customer’s mood.

Enriched with sensors, the smart sign leverages IoT to create bespoke content. Smart signs tailor their content based on real-time analysis of multiple video streams, which include face detection technology. They provide demographic information about viewers, such as age and gender. Facial detection reveals mood. Is your customer grumpy? Happy?

The demographic information is combined with other real-time data such as weather (is it cold outside?) as well as your internal inventory and campaign goals. Then the advertisements can be highly targeted to maximize customer response and generate loyalty.

Going a step further, the IoT is making it possible to spot and deal with unhappy customers as early as possible in order to make them feel special. For example, if an airline can identify a diamond-tier passenger who has been waiting to check in for 10 minutes, the manager can head off his unhappiness by offering a “fast track” check in.

Location analytics tools give you a better understanding of how your customers move through your stores. By analyzing customer paths through a retail store you can optimize your layout and product placements. Combining this capability with predictive models, you can proactively redeploy staff to address bottlenecks and avoid queues before they happen.

In the brave new world to attain loyalty, you must treat your customers like royalty. Using the IoT and location analytics in particular puts the power firmly in your hands.