Technology has dramatically altered how we shop.
From mobile payment apps like Square to location-based coupons that pop up when we walk into a store to virtual dressing rooms, retail will never be the same after Silicon Valley and Silicon Alley get done with it.
We once relied solely on human interaction in retail stores—with a little catalog shopping on the side. Those days are approaching an end as companies like Apple allow you to pay for a purchase and walk out of a store without talking to anyone. Meanwhile, robots are taking the place of the humans who check inventory on the shelves.
RFID tags have made it easier for retailers to take inventory and enhance the customer's shopping experience
RFID, or radio-frequency identification technology, enables retailers to do things like get rid of traditional checkout, track merchandise, and serve customers more efficiently.
Back in July, JCPenney CEO Ron Johnson announced that he will get rid of traditional checkout by the end of 2013 by deploying RFID tags.
The iPad and other tablets have changed the way retailers handle payments
The rise of tablets has been instrumental in revamping the retail experience, with many brick-and-mortar businesses using the tablet as a kind of mobile cash register for ringing up sales.
Square has allowed retailers to completely ditch traditional checkout methods
Its card reader and Register app allow merchants to accept credit- or debit-card payments using an iPhone, iPad, or Android device. The dashboard lets merchants do things like track sales by time of day.
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