SmartStores
The future of retail
Technology
Smart Stores Will Make Smarter Shoppers
As retailers are faced with the growing challenge and opportunity to educate consumers, more and more organizations are turning to technology for answers. Although websites can offer a wealth of information on a category such as organic foods, and even specific information and benefits around products within the category, it is difficult to guarantee that [...]
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QR Code
A QR Code is a matrix code (or two-dimensional bar code) created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. The “QR” is derived from “Quick Response”, as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed. QR Codes are common in Japan, where they are currently the most popular type [...]
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International Switchgear turns onto MRO cost control
As more companies look to manage their costs, the indirect and MRO spend areas are getting a much closer look than ever before. While the total dollar amount may not be as large as the direct materials spend, the lack of consolidation can provide good opportunity for spend management ROI. One company reaping the benefits [...]
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Infy joins Metro Group Future store as partner
BANGALORE: Metro Group, one of the largest international retailing companies, has selected Infosys Technologies as a partner in its Future Store Initiative (FSI) for advancement in technologies and new shopping concepts. Infosys was chosen as a METRO Group FSI partner on the basis of its shoppingTrip360 solution, an innovative managed service, that offers retailers and [...]
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How smart can MetroCards become?
Use your MetroCard to buy coffee, groceries or gas. This could be the future when the MTA introduces a no-swipe smart card system, which is expected by 2014. New MTA chief Jay Walder helped create London’s popular no-contact Oyster card and is looking to create a variation of it here. There are a lot of [...]
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Shopping with the Smart Cart: DigInfo
Fujitsu have upgraded their Smart Cart system using the latest in wireless technology. Using the IC chip within a mobile phone as a customer loyalty card, the system can display a range of personalized information. It can also display the carts location in the store and using RFID technology keep a record of the items [...]
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Unitech RH767
The RH767 is a Windows CE 5.0-based multi-tag HF or UHF RFID and bar code reader. It can read both EPC Gen 1 and Gen 2 RFID tags and comes with embedded RFID middleware for easy integration. Like the Unitech PA966 with which it shares the design and most tech specs, the RH767 uses the [...]
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Smarter shopping
NOTHING, you’d think, would be more dynamic or up-to-the-minute than how we buy and sell. From the early Greek agoras to the modern superstore, markets have always been the most sensitive barometers of economic and societal change. However, today’s retail model is struggling. It’s still largely a system built for the realities of an earlier [...]
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Are RFID tags leading to a surveillance culture?
Radio frequency identification chips are already widely used in supermarkets and shops for the purpose of stock control, but some people fear their use could be widened to monitor the habits and behaviour of ordinary citizens. At the moment, these tags, which are little bigger than a grain of sand, are embedded into pints of [...]
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Murata’s ultra-thin RFID modules
Murata has increased the applicability of its tiny RFID modules by significantly reducing the thickness, making the Magicstrap range suitable for paper label inlays for mainstream retail applications. The Japanese group has managed to embed all the necessary RF circuitry, including antenna filters, matching circuitry and ESD protection within the LTCC substrate using its multi-layer [...]
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