According to the company, 'technological innovation is driving change in 2012' and it envisions a future where digital continues to bleed into the physical retail world and vice versa, leading to an increasingly immersive retail experience.
At the conference Kobi Elbaz, director client solutions EMEA HP Personal Systems Group, comments, "There is undoubtedly a transformation taking place in the retail industry in terms of the incorporation of technology into physical stores. One of the trends we foresee in 2012 is retailers providing increasingly interactive digital experiences in store, from touch-enabled digital signage to loyalty initiatives via barcodes on a smartphone."
"Retailers are turning their stores into more pleasing and interactive environments for shoppers with the group's industry-leading POS and display technologies. Consumers now expect much more from the shopping experience and retailers are actively encouraging customers to stay in store for longer. That's why the group is showcasing technologies which will encourage customers to stay in store - the best retailers already understand that 'dwell time equals sell time'.
"Our vision is to enable retailers to create a seamless customer experience across multiple store touch-points. On our stand, we are demonstrating various solutions and a mobile point of sale solution, using the HP Slate 2 Tablet PC. VantagePoint is another advanced technology we are able to demonstrate. It's a large interactive touch wall, enabling retailers to see how they might engage shoppers in an interactive brand experience."
With the proliferation of mobile and email barcodes for coupons and loyalty offers, retailers require the latest barcode scanning technology to improve the customer shopping experience. The group has expanded its portfolio further and launched a HP Presentation Barcode Scanner and HP Linear Barcode Scanner to enable easy scanning, even from mobile devices. These will be available this month.
The self service solutions are to be introduced first in North America in January 2012, with other areas following. The HP 47" Micro_Bezel Displays are expected to launch in EMEA later this year. The date for South Africa distribution of these items is not yet established
To follow the group's activities at the convention, follow on Twitter @HP_Retail or the Retail Technology and Solutions LinkedIn group.
