In Maine, the Press Herald reports that Ahold Delhaize-owned Hannaford “wants to use technology to make in-store shopping an interactive experience,” and is testing innovations at one Portland, Maine, store “that are designed to promote certain product categories while making shopping easier and more convenient.”
These innovations, the story says, “include digital displays that show ads for products, touchscreen stations where customers can search for information, and shelves with sensors that know which items a customer has picked up so relevant product information can be displayed on a nearby screen.
“Hannaford has rolled them out in a newly redesigned area of its Portland store that focuses on health, beauty and active lifestyle products. The goal is to determine whether the changes lead to increased sales and a better customer experience.”
It isn’t just about technology: “Shelves have been extended to a much greater height, and about 1,500 new products have been added with an emphasis on natural and organic items. Hannaford also has added an in-store nutritionist to provide product advice to customers.
These innovations, the story says, “include digital displays that show ads for products, touchscreen stations where customers can search for information, and shelves with sensors that know which items a customer has picked up so relevant product information can be displayed on a nearby screen.
“Hannaford has rolled them out in a newly redesigned area of its Portland store that focuses on health, beauty and active lifestyle products. The goal is to determine whether the changes lead to increased sales and a better customer experience.”
It isn’t just about technology: “Shelves have been extended to a much greater height, and about 1,500 new products have been added with an emphasis on natural and organic items. Hannaford also has added an in-store nutritionist to provide product advice to customers.
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Appears to be time for a road trip up to Portland, Maine … this store sounds intriguing, and exactly like how retailers should be integrating technology into the bricks-and-mortar environment.
