By Bobby Marhamat, Epson: Find a retail organization opposed to implementing new technology, and I’ll show you a retail organization that won’t be around too much longer. It may sound blunt, but the technology we’re seeing reinvent retail is truly transformative. If an organization doesn’t embrace it, then they can expect to fall further into their competitors’ rearview mirrors. 
Technological innovation has always sparked better retail practices, both for the customer and retailer. The evolution from manual cash registers to self-service checkout kiosks has been a boon for customers’ precious time. Inventory management software has ensured that products are on the shelves when customers need them. Digital signage is one of the most dynamic, cost-effective ways to advertise promotions, display product information, and engage the customer with interactive in-store features.
Today, an increasingly tech-devoted consumer base has forced emerging technologies from the shadows and warehouses into the storefront. Five technologies in particular are primed to enhance brick and mortar experiences in 2022:
Technology 1: Virtual reality
Virtual reality delivers a virtual experience that appears stunningly life-like. All customers have to do is strap on a VR headset and enter a unique world within your stores. We’ve seen VR used for both sales and entertainment purposes, with the best experience combining both..
IKEA created a “high-definition, interactive showroom” for customers willing to put on the Oculus Rift headset. Customers can configure a Kallax shelf unit, Malm bed frame, or any other IKEA product in a virtual rendering of their real-life space. Anyone who has purchased furniture in-store only to find it too cumbersome for their home knows how innovative IKEA’s VR application is.
Lowe’s Innovation Labs took a more educational approach in its VR debut. Lowe’s Holoroom How To, which debuted in limited stores in Spring 2017, allowed customers to complete a sort of handyperson training course. Thanks to the HTC Vive VR headset, there was no mess or actual lifting of tools during this virtual apprenticeship. In the way that National Football League quarterbacks are using VR to practice reading defenses, Lowe’s customers learned and practiced various DIY projects.
There’s no telling which innovative VR experiences are primed to debut in 2022, but I look forward to seeing them. There are few technologies with a greater potential to generate genuinely fun and novel customer experiences.
Technology 2: Artificial intelligence
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Source Epson
