Companies are constantly improving their businesses with new technology. Self-checkouts are one now-commonplace example of technology that is paving the way for future shopping advancements. Keep reading to learn more about these technologies that will change the retail industry forever.

Augmented Reality Shopping

More brands are incorporating augmented reality (AR) into their retail stores and customer journeys. Take a stroll through your local mall, and you might be able to spot some prime examples of this already. You may see examples of augmented reality technology in window displays, offering customers a virtual look into what the store has to offer through a QR code or link. Clothing stores are even using AR technology to allow customers to use virtual fitting rooms. This is convenient when shopping from home or during recent times when social distancing made traditional fitting rooms unusable. You can even use AR technology to have an in-store shopping experience from the comfort of your own home.

Cashier-less Stores

After the introduction of self-checkout registers at larger grocery and convenience stores, one thing became clear: many customers preferred this quick and hassle-free checkout method over traditional face-to-face registers. Some stores are taking this technology to the next level and implementing entirely cashier-free stores. For example, Amazon has outfitted some of their grocery and retail stores with cashier-less technology, such as scanning barcodes or QR codes to pay. Some of their stores even allow customers to walk out the door with their items, which will be scanned on the way out and billed to the customer’s account. This technology could drastically reduce waiting times and lines at checkout and increase retail efficiency.

Digital Price Tags

Price tags can be the bane of some retail stores’ existence. They can easily become outdated when prices are adjusted, or shelves are reorganized or shuffled. However, some stores are solving these problems by testing out digital price tags on their shelves. Store management can easily and remotely edit these price tags when moving an item or adjusting its price. These tags can also be easier for customers to read and understand. Plus, they can display more information about a product, such as nutrition facts in a grocery aisle.

As technology advances, it’s only natural that it would expand to our shopping experiences as well. These examples oftechnologies that will change the retail industry are ones that you’ll notice soon in local stores if you haven’t already. And if you have your own retail store, these technologies are worth looking into to stay relevant with your competitors. Consider stocking up on products like premium hats for wholesale at KBETHOS to incorporate into your virtual fitting rooms, shopping, and more.