A dozen innovations were looked at during research done by TNS Research Surveys with more than
4,600 primary household shoppers in eight major retail markets across the world.

These shoppers were asked to comment on each innovation, saying how appealing the innovation was to them, the likelihood of their using that innovation, the extent to which they find the innovation new, and the extent to which they believe in the use of the innovation. They then voted for which innovation should take first place.

The 12 innovations looked at were:

• Biometric Fingerprint Payment where you pay for your purchases with your fingerprint.
• Interactive Dressing Room Help where you speak to the sales assistant whilst in the dressing room using the dressing room digital touch screen.
• Smart Carts which let you locate products instore, check prices and promotions, upload recipes and even go speedily through checkout.
• 3D Body Scan where a shopper’s body is scanned and then recommendations are made on specific clothes likely to fit well.
• Online Collaborations where you go online to tell the manufacturer about the products you want and posting ideas on how existing products can be improved.
• Buying power online with shoppers joining online collaborative communities to aggregate their buying power with other shoppers.
• Networked shopping with networked devices in the home like refrigerators which will monitor what products shoppers use, create shopping lists and communicate with other devices to arrange deliveries.
• Interactive Dressing Room Mirror which allows you as a shopper to see how you will look in an outfit without trying it on.
• Shopping by mobile phone where you activate your “shopping trip” to place orders and arrange delivery from remote locations via your mobile device.
• Holographic sales assistant where shoppers interact with instore holograms that can answer questions and facilitate merchandise transactions.
• Shopping social network websites where you join a social network site to find the hottest stores and trends and products.
• Product and sales info via cell-phone where you walk near your favourite shops and your mobile phone will tell you about sales, products and special promotions.

After reviewing the survey’s results (see figure 1 above) and discussing these innovations with industry players at the Instore Marketing Conference, it was quite clear to us that these innovations are not that far-fetched. If anything, quite a number of them are already a reality in some form or another, albeit limited.

For example, with a social network site aimed at increasing association with global shoppers, it is important that as manufacturers we have our fingers on the pulse. Even more importantly though is the need to act speedily on these insights on what to develop and what to stock on shelves to meet these needs.

If our pace of producing from concept to on-shelf is not fast enough, it will be challenging for us to remain on the ball and keep a competitive edge in meeting shoppers’ needs and wants.

Another area which will demand some thought is that of networked home devices such as refrigerators, which will monitor what products shoppers use, create shopping lists and communicate with other devices to arrange deliveries. The question is, what would our packaging have to look like in order to facilitate these capabilities, and how do we introduce extensions of our offerings to these devices? According to Pat McCann, TNS Retail ad Shopper Europe: “As this method of replenishing the home becomes prevalent, there will be a greater likelihood of new products failing. Innovation will come from new category invention and manufacturers’ product development processes will be very different – with potentially wide-ranging implications.”

One thing is certain, we are living in times of dramatic change. TNS Magasin’s Siemon Scamell Katz concluded with these very apt thoughts on the future: “Each and every technological advance will have to be filtered through the lens of the shopper."

What are you designing for these shoppers? And most importantly, are you looking at it
through the lens of a shopper?

To find out more about the results of the 12 Retail Innovations click here