Social retailing--a combination of mobile communication, online networking and traditional merchandising--may be the future of shopping. In this world, online friends help us decide which outfit to
buy by viewing us in interactive mirrors inside stores. Our cell phones ring up sales, and retailers text us coupons when we walk through the door.
More than a dozen companies are
demonstrating the latest technology at the National Retail Federation's annual convention. The technology, still many years from being widely used, is driven by the advent of radio frequency
identification tags that allow retailers to track merchandise remotely. But it's also raised privacy concerns.
The equipment and software can be costly and depend on large networks of
savvy consumers to be successful. Christopher Enright, chief technology officer of IconNicholson, maker of the interactive mirrors, says the vision will become reality: "This is live. It's a
revolution in how this whole retailing experience is going to go."
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