Infosys promises "paradigm shift in in-store shopping experience" through ShoppingTrip360

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"ShoppingTrip360 is a managed information service that offers visibility to shopper and shelf activity with unprecedented granularity by leveraging an in-store network of wireless sensor based applications," Infosys Technologie said in a statement.

In other words, the technology can serve as the basis for a variety of applications at the retail level, such as better planning of store layout, including checkout counters; better utilization of electricity; location of new products and promotions; and using location-based services to reach out to in-store customers on their mobile phones.

"With features that empower shoppers to participate in the network using their personal cell-phones, the service allows people (shoppers), places (retailers) and products (CPG or consumer packaged goods companies) for the first time to collaborate in real time at the point of purchase. This permission based implicit and real-time exchange of information is a paradigm shift in in-store shopping experience," it said.

The solution, Infosys said, "enables an information ecosystem where shoppers, CPG manufacturers and retailers can all win. Manufacturers and retailers get unprecedented visibility into shopper and shelf activity. Timely knowledge of shopper movement and shelf activity can help retailers and CPG manufacturers take informed decisions to ensure shoppers have the products where, when and the way they want it. A shopper, in turn, benefits from getting personalized and improved service at the store and out of it."

ShoppingTrip360 currently offers solutions such as Store Heat Maps (to track movement of shopping carts within a store and provide insights like shopper concentrations, cart paths, etc.), Smart Shelf Pads (to track inventory and monitor storage condition of products in-shelf), Shopper Concierge (a cell-phone based concierge application that can manage shopping lists and other reminders for shopper as well as allow the shopper to access location and context specific incentives and product information), and Smart Visual Merchandising (a rich user experience platform where shoppers can interact and get information on products while at the same time get recommendations on related products).

Other services that are currently in beta form, are Electronic Shelf Talkers (to enable dynamic exchange of product information including pricing), In-store Energy Management (to allow retailers to control lighting and HVAC usage based on need and occupancy), and Perpetual Checkouts (to allow shoppers to continuously ring items as they buy and pay automatically, thus avoiding lengthy checkout lines).

Though there are niche companies that offer point solutions comparable to specific services of the ShoppingTrip360, yet, there are none that offer a comprehensive unified service, Infosys said.

"Shopping Trip 360 is really a consolidation of some of the research we have been doing in the retail industry. It takes all the point solutions which we have deployed and combines that to create what we believe to be the next wave of innovation. This then brings that online experience back into the store, into the physical world and creates an environment which is as rich in terms of applications, in the information it can provide," Kris Gopalakrishnan, CEO, Infosys Technologies, said.

"Retailers and CPG companies are seeking new ways to collaborate seamlessly in order to better understand and engage their shoppers in today's hyper-competitive landscape. Infosys has developed a roadmap for the ShoppingTrip360 platform to enable future applications based on the real-time collaboration between shoppers, retailers and CPG brands. ShoppingTrip360 answers this need," said U.B. Pravin Rao, senior vice president (retail, consumer packaged goods and logistics), Infosys Technologies.

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