With the advance of new mobile technology and gadgetry, retail customers are coming to expect a shopping experience tailored to their needs, even beyond the in-store experience. Consumer-electronics and -solutions multinational Cisco is one of the main players in the beyond-store approach in particular.
At last week’s technology-focused Retail Asia Expo 2010 in Hong Kong, with a massive booth set up next to local retail-tech leaders RiiT and Leo Inno Tech (LIT), Cisco made a splash of its own, unveiling its new integrated retail-solutions concept: "Borderless Retailing".
"Borderless Retailing" goes beyond the store and the mall, reaching out to customers city-wide with a new "Smart+Connected Retail" experience enabled by Cisco’s comprehensive portfolio of technologies.
Among Cisco’s new technologies shown in Hong Kong for the first time are the Connected Bus Shelter and Wi-Fi Proximity Services solutions.
The Cisco Connected Bus Shelter solution is designed to stimulate customers’ interest by enabling real-time, interactive video displays that can be installed in any transport station. Integrated with Cisco’s Digital Media Systems and Borderless Network solutions, the Connected Bus Shelter enables retailers and shopping malls to engage customers and encourage patronage by broadcasting videos of recorded commercials or live events such as store openings and timely promotional offers. The solution also allows retailers and shopping malls to provide connected multi-player games and city-wide voting to meet customers’ social networking needs.
Cisco’s Wi-Fi Proximity Services solution enables retailers and shopping malls to identify and automatically launch web services to their customers’ devices, making it easier for retailers to deliver location-based services with interactive multimedia content.
Cisco’s In-Mall Queue Management System with push notifications allows retailers and shopping malls to convert customer waiting time into valuable shopping time. Customers can obtain an e-ticket from a restaurant and check the status of the queue remotely at any time. The system can even send a message to the customer’s mobile phone to notify him or her when the queue number is coming up.
"We were excited to be participating in Retail Asia Expo 2010 and showcasing our Smart+Connected Retail technologies and solutions," said Barbara Chiu, general manager, Cisco Hong Kong and Macau. "We are helping retailers meet increasingly sophisticated customer demands in a shifting market paradigm," she added.
"Cisco will continue to work together with the local retail industry to transform its business, helping retailers gain access to market opportunities and evolve with new developments in retail experience."