CES & NRF 2012: More Insights Beyond the Technology

Like some other exhibitors and attendees, I made the quick leap from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to the National Retail Federation (NRF) in New York City in a matter of a few short days. With so many exhibitors (and a lack of sleep) it’s not so easy to say one thing really stood out among the rest.

However, having been at both CES and NRF, one of the observations I’m most excited about is that the economy is definitely picking up. Based on the significant increase in numbers of exhibitors and attendees from 2009 to 2012, it is clear that companies are again exploring technology and have the desire to invest in digital merchandising solutions.

With that being said, I’d be remiss if I didn’t share some of the things I’ve been keeping my eye on.  This year the transparent LCD products are moving from concept to production and RFID is being implemented in more creative ways.  Both of these technologies have the ability to impact the consumer experience in retail.

Transparent LCDs

Transparent LCD technology is becoming more and more prevalent as a viable option for customer-facing digital merchandising initiatives. Samsung seems to have the lead in this space with one of the clearest and advanced solutions on the market.  One of the concepts I’ve seen in the past involved attaching the transparent LCD to the inside of a beverage refrigerator glass door.  Perching an implementation like this at the front of the checkout aisle, is a prime spot to display eye-catching content and to get the consumers attention on a product.  If implemented properly, it’s sure to be able to drive up brand awareness and increase sales.

RFID

There are many opportunities within the digital merchandising realm to leverage the power of RFID tagging. Perhaps, in ways that have not been previously thought of.  Reality Interactive has implemented RFID reading for projects before (Wave and Win contest) but since then the technology has advanced in its capabilities and reduced in cost.  Not only can RFID tagging be used for active scanning and inventory purposes, but also consumer interaction with merchandise or displays.

At NRF, while exhibiting our Microsoft Surface 2.0 application on the new SUR40. We started to conceptualize different options for integrating RFID location-based interactivity. During lunch, we sat next an individual who happened to be deep into the development of RFID technology and directed us to UPM‘s booth showcasing the work of their partner inMotion.  They were demonstrating a similar concept based on the movement of the RFID tag on a product  the display would change to more relevant content.  This definitely got the creative juices flowing. Enjoy the video below while I’m off to get some sleep!

Courtesy of Washington Post : see photo gallery of CES 2012