The Future Of... Cash Registers

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>> Sumi Das: The Internet has forever changed the way we shop. With a few clicks, you can browse masses of merchandise. key strokes To touch or try on your potential purchase, though, a bricks-and-mortar store is the way to go. But in the future, cash registers may merge the best of both these worlds.

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>> Computer Voice: blip Forty-eight.

>> Sumi Das: Self-checkout machines are becoming more common. But future cash registers will be more than just pay stations. They'll give customers choices and the confidence they've made the right buying decision. Much like an exceptionally knowledgeable sales clerk.

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>> Sumi Das: This is IntelsVision, the intelligent retail proof of concept.

>> The real inspiration for the technology, I think, was now that we have an economic downturn, how do we help the shoppers maximize their profit and the retailers, and then, similarly, how do we make it fun to go back to the store. It kind of lost a little bit of that.

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>> Sumi Das: The goal is not to eliminate traditional cash registers but to provide online conveniences to in-store shoppers.

>> When I shop, I walk in, and I say, hey, the shirt looks great, but I have absolutely no idea what tie might actually match with this. And so if I can go over with an element, and I can start to browse what other people have done, am I going to be a lot more confident in my shopping experience.

>> Sumi Das: music The technology is modular and adaptable to the retailer's needs.

>> Got some nice items there.

>> Yeah.

>> Sumi Das: Here, a salesperson and customer could collaborate using the horizontal and vertical screen combo. While a second customer can use another vertical screen on the back. The point-of-sale prototype combines processors, touchscreens, and smart labels. music Frequent shopper cards embedded with RFID tags customize the retail experience. Swipe the card, and the customer's previous purchases appear along with suggestions based on their buying history. When embedded in clothing tags, RFID enables consumers to learn added details about their purchase.

>> It's a unique identifier for the garment specifically, but then when we pair that with our online inventory database that the retailer might have, you can start to learn things about texture and fabric types. You might even be able to pull up where it was made, under what processes.

>> Sumi Das: And when it's time to check out, paying can be simpler by using the one device most people rarely leave home without - their cell phone, and e-receipts are sent to the phone making returns that much easier.

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>> Sumi Das: The future of cash registers. Giving shoppers a high-tech dose of retail therapy. music For Smart Planet, I'm Sumi Das.

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==== Transcribed by Automatic Sync Technologies ====