Stores are moving rapidly towards a smart shopping environment in which goods are connected to the internet via RFID
Shopping in a crowded mall can be stressful at the best of times. Throw in out-of-stock items, missing price tags and labyrinthine store layouts and it can even become a frustrating exercise in futility.
But all this could change, thanks to an emerging concept dubbed 'the extended internet', where objects - and sometimes humans - are connected to the internet by radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and similar wireless technologies.
A concept store at last weekend's Hong Kong Electronics Fair offered a glimpse of the future shopper's paradise.
For example, if you are in a garments store, clothes carrying the RFID tag will trigger a screen in the fitting room that gives information relating to the item of clothing. Data ranges from details about fabrics and available colours and sizes to suitable accessories.
Meanwhile, electronic shopping assistants play commercials about articles in the customer's vicinity. Detailed store layouts are provided, while wireless shelf labels give up-to-the-minute prices on perishable items, such as fresh produce. RFID-enabled payment cards and mobile phones speed up checkout lines.
