The multimedia experiences that studios create at San Diego Comic-Con are an example of the kinds of interactive experiences that could be slotted into shopping centers across the nation. Some like Kidzania, Dreamworks and the Void are already doing it.

 

Taylor Coyne digs into how Artificial Intelligence can help retailers better serve the customer with apps that can both help and engage the shopper.  IBM's Watson works with Macy's customers, telling them what they might want to buy and where in the store they can find it.  KFC in Beijing uses face recognition technology to suggest menu options that diners could be in the mood for. The Internet of things (IoT) will connect all appliances and other devices, which will be enabled with AI.  James relates a hot pursuit situation with a robot security guard in Boston. The future of AI promises 24/7 customer service that is both intelligent and cheerful.

 

Damon Marx explains that Augmented Reality is having the biggest immediate impact on retail. Retailers can overlay a digital reality on top of our real world. The most famous example is Pokémon Go. Home goods retailers can use AR to show you how a couch would look inside your actual living room. The Shinola store uses VR to give a guided tour of the Shinola factory. For now, VR seems to be most successful as a marketing tool, with retail sales within VR environments still not yet common.

Links mentioned in the show:

 

 

Got a retail question?  Tweet at: @JamesDCook  

 

Read more retail research here.

 

James Cook is the director of retail research in the Americas for JLL.

 

Theme music is Little Lily Swing by Tri-Tachyon under Creative Commons 4.0 license.