The National Retail Federation's "Big Show" in New York highlighted scores of cutting-edge retail technologies, from mobile devices and digital signage to point-of-sale systems and store-management applications. Tablet computers were everywhere, of course, though more often featured as a raffle prize designed to draw booth visitors and gather business card leads. Several exhibitors demonstrated iPad-native "clienteling" apps designed to help salespeople demonstrate and explain complicated (or ou

Doug Henschen, Executive Editor, Enterprise Apps

January 13, 2011

16 Slides


What's the foundation of big retail? As in so many other industries, the answer is technology. The Retail Big Show's top sponsors were the usual suspects: IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, and SAP. IBM offers business consulting and "smarter" shopping and merchandising systems, while Microsoft, Oracle and SAP offer retailing apps.

Among the keynotes at NRF's Big Show, Disney highlighted a tech-driven revamp of its retail store format, with animated displays, a digital "Disney Princess" encounter, in-store high-def theaters and state-of-the-art point-of-sale technology aimed at creating a "magical" shopping experience. Several "concept vehicles" were seen on the show floor. Fujitsu demonstrated a high-speed-scanning prototype that promises the throughput of two to three conventional checkout lines. Kraft Foods demoed an interactive touch-screen end-cap display, developed in cooperation with Intel, that lets customers browse meal plans and recipes, download personalized shopping lists and coupons, and even dispense product samples. It's a hint at what's to come in your local stores.

SEE ALSO:

Microsoft Extends Dynamics AX for Retailers

Google Prepping Retail Mobile Payment Service

JCPenney Sets Up Shop In Facebook

Walmart Extends Teradata Mega Deal

Fake Amazon Receipt Generator Targets Unsuspecting Online Merchants

Zeus Botnet Targeting Retailer Credit Cards

Amazon EC2 Achieves Payment Industry Certification

Credit Card Transactions Likely In Future Public Clouds

About the Author(s)

Doug Henschen

Executive Editor, Enterprise Apps

Doug Henschen is Executive Editor of InformationWeek, where he covers the intersection of enterprise applications with information management, business intelligence, big data and analytics. He previously served as editor in chief of Intelligent Enterprise, editor in chief of Transform Magazine, and Executive Editor at DM News. He has covered IT and data-driven marketing for more than 15 years.

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