The future of shopping has already arrived, from 3D interactive fitting rooms to social payments over Twitter.
We don't shop the way we did a decade ago. Back then, apps, more commonly known as programs, were for computers only. Our phones were not that "smart." If a phone had a camera it was probably only a pixel or two. And the Internet was a source for research more than socializing or shopping. Yes, Amazon and eBay launched in the mid-90s, but they were each still establishing merit as useful commerce sites for the everyday consumer. We may have done some browsing online, but over-the-phone and in-store shopping dominated commerce.
Our shopping habits have changed considerably as technology advanced. Retailers began to embrace online commerce by promoting online buying with new tech terminology such as 'Cyber Monday' deals. When the iPhone was released, perpetual Internet access began to change the way we discovered products and made purchases, among other things. Deal-of-the-day sites hit the scene, and saving money online became easier and actually convenient.
Technology is allowing us to find better, more useful ways to shop. Luckily, we don't have to wait until the next decade to experience the future of shopping. Check out how these 10 latest commerce innovations will dramatically alter how you shop.
1.Product Visualization in Augmented Reality
Don't be fooled by Photoshopped products. Finding that the product shipped to your doorstep is far from how it was depicted online has long frustrated customers. It has also inconvenienced retailers due to excess returns and negative reviews. But now, with augmented reality, we can try products as if they were physically present before making a purchase.
A leader in the field is Paris-based Augment, which works with ecommerce merchants to integrate "Try at Home" options into existing online shopping models. Using an iOS or Android device, you can see a realistic view of a product from all angles and how it will fit in your own home.
2.Smart Shopping Carts for In-Browser Automatic Deals
Sure you can laboriously go from comparison engine to comparison app in search of the best possible coupon-discounted price. Or, you can let the best bargains come to you automatically.
You can shop at a regular e-tailer while using a smart shopping cart that automatically applies discounts, special offers, and third-party markdowns when available. Sounds simple enough, yet no one single app, website, or even retailer has this down to an exact science—yet.
One frontrunner in the smart shopping cart race to perfection is Mavatar, which allows you to shop online across various retailers while using a single smart shopping cart that applies all available discounts in real time.
3.In-Stream Social Payments
Since we can pay with a credit card, PayPal, gift card, Amazon Payments, or even a QR code or barcode, why is it so hard to check out on social sites? Social media isn't exactly commerce-friendly yet and that's the one piece of the social media puzzle no brand seems to have a finger on. Consumers are on Facebook and Twitter religiously, yet buying and selling hasn't seamlessly integrated into these sites as once predicted.
Now with some of the first successful integrations of in-stream buying, social shopping may be about to change. Brands such as Puma, Taco Bell, the Portland Trail Blazers, and Green Day have all run payment collecting social network campaigns via social commerce platform Chirpify. A socially streamlined multi-channel ecommerce platform, Chirpify allows you to make transactions on social networks in-stream without interrupting the standard social media experience. Using this model, buying, selling, and donating are performed via a simple keyword or #hashtag, without your having to leave the site or pull out a credit card.
To participate you need an account with Chirpify, as well as a connected credit card, debit card; bank routing, or PayPal information. While the social commerce concept certainly isn't unheard of, only recently have campaigns successfully integrated in-stream social payments within mainstream social networks without backlash from either the network or fans. Social payments are coming and you can expect to see more brands prompting you to comment with a hashtag or keyword on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest in the coming months.
4.Mobile Loyalty Apps for Shopping That Fills Your Wallet
Shopping may not be your cup of tea, but the prospect of cash rewards may help change your mind. An increasing number of incentive programs have come into place to reward shoppers.
Apps in particular have made snatching shopping rewards simpler than ever. Ibotta rewards you with actual cash rather than coupons for scanning product images and barcodes as you browse. ShopKick, on the other hand, rewards you for simply entering stores. The geo-targeting app delivers "kicks" to customers that accumulate and are redeemable for free gift cards. Shopkick also alerts you to available discounts as you enter stores for a highly personalized shopping experience.
Both apps approach the increase in mobile shopping from a new direction; by focusing on rewarding you for shopping you are already doing, rather than distracting you with deals you may not want or need.
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