Report: Future of retail IoT more than beacons

Omnichannel is so 2016, with mPOS, staff handhelds/wearables, camera analytics, interactive mirrors with AI, chatbots, and VR already shaping up as this year’s overused retail tech buzzwords.



At least that's according to ABI Research, whose new report outlines important trends — including 3D sensing — that it believes, while still under the radar, should be top priorities on retailers' technology agendas as they move toward a “smart” retail future.



“Without doubt, mPOS, staff handhelds, camera analytics, beacons, and more all will play key roles in the future of smart retail,” said Patrick Connolly, principal analyst at ABI Research. “But there will also be a number of very important trends that will go largely unnoticed this year which retailers should be aware of and plan for in order to drive new revenue opportunities."



In its report, “Smart Retail: Predictions for 2018, ABI Research identifies a number of key trends that will shape in-store retail IoT:



• Dynamic pricing technologies

• 3D sensing

• Handset-based SLAM technologies

• Attribution/retargeting

• Next-generation labels and signage

• PWAs, the physical web and the death of native app

• Real-time, in-store inventory management

• Customer and product analytics



Many of the technologies focus on the digitization of the store, whether through its customers, staff, inventory or the physical store itself, ABI noted.



“By combining these technologies with the industry's current hot topics, they will provide ways to deliver new services to customers, streamline processes, measure performance, and drive new revenue,” ABI said. “This is an essential first step in facilitating the move to retail IoT.”



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