Retail in Asia

In Trends

High-tech solutions for stress-free travel shopping

Shopping abroad can be tricky, especially when foreign product labels are undecipherable. For people with dietary or medical restrictions, it can be downright dangerous. But a Japanese printing company says it has found a way to end the confusion.

Dai Nippon Printing’s solution lies in digital technology. It works like this: The customer uses his or her smartphone or tablet to read a special QR code printed on the package. An image of the package then appears on the screen, with the labeling shown in the language selected by the customer. The image can be rotated and viewed from all sides by swiping a finger across the screen.

Japan is in the midst of an unprecedented tourism boom, with record numbers of foreign visitors pouring into the country. Increasingly, their shopping lists are topped not by high-end electronics or luxury watches but daily goods such as cosmetics and snacks. For most of these commodities, the ingredients and instructions are listed almost exclusively in Japanese.

(Source: Asia Nikkei)