Future of retail industry may be driven by location and voice technology

The growth of smart digital home assistants will also influence the way many of us shop in the future.

Retailers, struggling to connect with their customers, have been trialling new technologies to blend in-store and digital experiences.

Interactive kiosks, mobile-friendly websites and transactional apps have become the norm.

But shoppers are looking for deeper connections. If mobile is the glue connecting digital and physical retail, then location and voice technology are the bedrock of meaningful shopping experiences of the future.

How technology has shaped shopping

Historically, the first three rules of retail were always – “location, location, location”. Consultants pulled out that catch phrase at every opportunity, telling retailers that the only way