There will be brick and mortar stores, but they will be very futuristic compared to today. "I call it the magic of retail. People do not want to remove the interaction with others. They want to talk and interact. They need the ability to 'smell the grease,'" Dyches said.
"What will be different about the retail store of the future is the supply chain," he said. "Because of expedited delivery, stores won't have to stock as many parts. Thanks to upgraded delivery channels, they will be able to carry smaller inventories, yet still provide service to their customers. The current financial model of retail sales is outdated and the old drudgery of the paper catalog is gone. New distribution avenues such as www.search-autoparts.com are changing that."
"Let's take an example. Say you currently have a 3,500 square-foot retail store specializing in off-road parts and you want to expand. Using digital walls, you don't have to really expand the space but you can 'morph' your store into something bigger. I'm not talking about the far future here -- most of this technology is currently available. Some of it is still 10 years away."
"One thing retail stores of the future will be is energy efficient. Using photovoltaic fabrics, curtains can now direct energy back into the store. Also, many of the fixtures in the store will have photovoltaic cells on the top and have the ability to channel energy back into the store," said Dyches.
"In order for customers to buy products, their brain waves must change from alpha to beta. How do you, as a retailer do that? There are many things you have to do. You have to get them excited. Here at the SEMA Show the wild paint schemes on the vehicles attract attention. It's the same with retail; you have to get the customers excited. One hint: the music in a retail store should be instrumental, you don't want them thinking of the words and signing along."
So, what will we see in the future? "You will see digital walls, music systems that follow the customer around the store and be aimed at the right demographic. Holograms will be used to highlight products and even used to demonstrate the installation of the products. Also, signage will change on a regular basis (or as directed by the sales staff) and will speak directly to the consumers."
"Point of sale (POS) displays will be programmed to speak directly to the customers and the catalogs will be on a pure digital platform. There is auto parts distributor in Chicago that already uses holograms to show parts. People walking by the store stop and look into the window to see virtual brake parts floating in the air. Eventually the entire service counter at an auto parts facility will be digital and able to highlight various parts," Dyches added.
"I know it sounds futuristic, but the technology is available right now. The retail store of the future will be able to use huge digital signage while the Internet can only post a small photo on a 17-inch screen. It's hard for a customer to get excited about that," Dyches concluded.
