Infrastructure Will Drive The Retail Store Experiences Of The Future

To engage customers, retailers are implementing new technologies to help increase the relevance of content, reduce shopper frustrations, and create pleasing experiences. For example, Burberry tags merchandise with radio frequency identification (RFID) chips, which activate videos and product details through screens embedded in mirrors at its flagship store, and Apple's iBeacon allows mobile phones or wearable devices to interact with sensors inside a retail location. Business executives are driving this retail revolution. However, infrastructure and operations (I&O) professionals must step up their engagement with retail business leaders to gain a deeper understanding of how business imperatives shape future requirements for in-store technologies. I&O pros must then use their technology expertise to develop those experiences, thereby reducing the risk of failure and increasing the chance of customer delight.