The store of tomorrow, today

I had the opportunity to visit a truly progressive and innovative local retailer yesterday. The store is a liquor store in name only. They stock all the usual stuff with a great selection of wines, but what make this store different is the way the utilize technology. The store has over a dozen digital screens in front of wine displays. Pick up a bottle of wine and wave in front of the screen and the rating of the wine, information about the vineyard and a virtual tour. The center piece of the digital interaction is a large iPad like touch screen. Customers can search wines by price point, food parings and recipes. Once a selection is made is tells where the  win  in located in the store.

In my brief conversation with the owner he explained how they also tracked consumer shopping behavior. How customers shopped in the store and the amount of time they spend in front of certain displays. This store is a convergence of digital marketing, customer analytics and social media. I plan to follow and learn more about the software behind the digital media. Hopefully I’ll have some insights to share.