Supermarkets of The Future

A whole new way of shopping in supermarkets is underway in Europe. Metro AG, one of Europe’s largest retailers, is revolutionizing the shopping experience by introducing cutting-edge technologies at its Future Store in Germany.

Imagine this: upon entering the supermarket, you’re greeted individually – by a handy small computer, the Personal Shopping Assistant. With this device, you can easily recall your shopping list drawn from purchases made over the last few weeks. Looking for a certain product? No problem! The Assistant can show you at the touch of a button precisely where the packet of flour that you are looking for can be found. Can’t recall how much some of your groceries cost per kg? Just use the intelligent scales that recognize, weigh and price fruit and vegetables automatically! Need more information about select foods and wines? Check out the interactive multimedia kiosks called Information Terminals’ that provide the detailed information you need!
Done with your shopping? Find out by checking your high-tech shopping cart, integrated with a scanner and computer to allow you to tally with your own purchases. Then, pay with your Personal Shopping Assistant or just use the self check-out option – without requiring a cashier or having to queue up! (Source: Future-Store.org)

The basic technology of the Future Store is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). For those who are not familiar with RFID, it is a tag that contains an IC chip with an antenna. Unlike bar codes, RFID tags don’t require line-of-sight reading, and so one scanner can read hundreds of tags per second. Stimulated by a radio signal, the chip transmits a unique code to identify the product the tag is fixed to. The code includes not only the product’s universal product code, but also gives the particular item its own unique tag. (Source: Spectrum.ieee.org)
Besides enhancing the shoppers’ experience, RFID makes purchasing processes faster, more transparent and effective. Ordering, delivery and warehousing of the merchandize will be simplified. It is possible to track the transport and whereabouts of the goods across the entire supply chain. For instance, employees can recognize faster when shelves are about to run empty – hence an “out-of-stock” occurrence will be a thing of the past. For retailers, the optimized processes are leading to cost savings and increased customer satisfaction.

Let’s Get Down To Business…
Such a futuristic concept of ‘technologicalizing’ shopping can be aptly applied to local supermarkets and stores such as NTUC Fairprice and Cold Storage. Being almost unheard of in the local scene, this revolutionary shopping experience will certainly attract much fanfare for whichever supermarket that first implements it. Also, the demands and expectations of customers in the consumer goods industry have undergone changes over the past years. Tip: develop innovative technologies that can make shopping more convenient and efficient for consumers through better service, as well as improve operational processes. Individualize and personalize the shopping experience. In the Future Store, customers make use of a service tailored even more accurately to their specific wishes. This is something you should aim for, as the customer’s always king!
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http://www.future-store.org
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/resource/apr04/0404nsuper.html
http://www.usingrfid.com/