RETAIL RUNNER 2029 : The Shopping Future and Autonomous Shuttles

What does retail look like in 10 years? We ask ourselves that question a lot and it is definitely fun to ponder. The thing with technology is, when it happens – it happens fast.

It was in 1966 when Star Trek appeared on the scene with their motion activated sliding doors and AI that basically controlled the Enterprise. When we watch reruns of that today, it’s hard to imagine that the use of motion sensor sliding doors has become so widespread and used in our everyday lives.

Fast forward to today, and there is a lot of talk about AI. Never in our imagination would we have thought of seeing AI in our own cars like in Logan’s Run and Demolition Man. Electric cars and Autonomous Shuttles are here too. So, what will the world of retail look like in about 10 years? What will an average day possibly look like for all of us in 10 years, with all of these innovations?

In 2029, most people will not have a cell phone, they will have an implant – maybe in their wrist that will project information on the inside of your arm. There are companies already doing this with a bracelet that you can wear.

When you want food from the grocery store, they will be ordered online and delivered – which is direction things are moving already. There will be less grocers and big box stores with physical locations. This is already in place with Amazon, HEB, Whole Foods, Instacart etc.

Dining in a restaurant will be completely different. There might be a server but you will order from a kiosk or your own personal device and you will not pay with cash. There are restaurants with this system in place already. All transactions are done from a kiosk. Some no longer take cash. McDonalds has already started using digital kiosks.

There will be fewer physical retail stores. They will become more directed towards an experience. Think coffee shops that are showrooms for new products. Walk into a Target for instance and you will see this, a Starbucks alongside clothing displayed like they are in a boutique. There will be brick and mortar stores but fewer and more cross-advertising showroom boutiques.

Just about everything will be ordered digitally and with all of the big players rolling out faster shipping and same day delivery methods – it is the future.

Things are definitely changing, and we’re wondering if we’ll be able to get a flying car like in the Jetsons and Blade Runner, but to be honest all we really want is to fly using a Jet Pack!

To be clear, there are things that we still like to do in person. Most of us still like to listen to our music on CDs, and some of us still buy records, and try on our clothes before we buy them.

The ever-changing world of technology can be intimidating and scary, and if you are a smaller company, the challenge remains in trying to keep up with the big guys. We can help. Just click here to contact us for a free evaluation of your business. For all of your IT and E Commerce Solutions, look no further than SterliteUSA.com