Picture this: You're waiting in line when a video display in the checkout aisle begins showing an ad tailored just for you. Or rather, it's targeted at your particular age and sex.
That's the vision behind "smart shelves" that MondelÄ"z International (née Kraft), maker of Oreo, Ritz crackers, Wheat Thins and other snacks, has in mind for 2015. The shelves, which would be placed in the checkout aisle and near snacks, employ sensors to get a read on basic demographic information about the shopper.
"Knowing that a consumer is showing interest in the product gives us the opportunity to engage with them in real-time,†MondelÄ"z CIO Mark Dajani told The Wall Street Journal. “When people walk by, it’s a missed opportunity. We must know how the consumer behaves in the store.â€
Such technology could, for instance, identify a teen boy and target him with ads for gum and candy â€" two products he is statistically likely to buy. Product weight sensors would also sense if the teen picked something off the shelf. Then the monitor could present him with a coupon to close the deal. MondelÄ"z could also receive valuable information about who exactly is buying its products.
There is backlash potential as well. Consumers who are already queasy about seeing "interest-based" online ads from Amazon (and now, Facebook) reminding them of items they browsed may be creeped out by a similar application in real life.
However, MondelÄ"z isn't the only company that sees potential in image sensors at retail: A Russian company called Synqera makes in-store devices that gauge retail customers' moods and pitch them accordingly. For example, Synqera might offer someone over the age of 21 a discount on a bottle of whiskey at the checkout counter on a Friday night, especially if he looks lonely (or, conversely, ready for a fun night out). That technology is also said to be headed to stores in the United States.
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Image: Flickr, Diuleine
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