Analytics + electronic store displays + mobile purchase = next step in retail (and analytics)

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At the annual National Retailer Foundation expo in New York, large vendors offered model digital displays that provide more than store information. These displays offer users the ability to find retail inventory and departments quickly, with touch features similar to an iPhone (or iPad, if you will!). One display providing ability to add a selection to a mobile wallet -- with a light touch of a semi-transparent display users can call the image of their selection, just like a selection on a webpage, and then move the image to a virtual wallet linked to a mobile phone. The consumer can then purchase the selection with a credit card.

And who are the leaders who displayed this technology? Adobe? Google?

Try Intel and Hewett Packard.

Yeah.

This development makes a lot of sense in some ways. HP makes plasma screen for home. The increased appearance of plasma screen in commercial environments gives a natural extension opportunity for HP.

Intel can be more of a mystery at first blush, its main product being processors. But Intel's involvement in digital display shows an end use for Intel-powered mobile devices.

It also means:

Increased need to merge database information on offline retail products with online analytics data to give a full picture of how a business retail is doing.

Analytic practitioners must be better aware of a business' operation -- more importance for consulting firms to have access to all sources to create solid analysis.

Increased opportunity for mobile purchases to become reality. These offering make credit card purchases on the spot possible.

Potential advantage for Omniture, Web Trends, Google Analytics and other analytic tools in managing more real-time data. Increased grannuarity segmentation of data will be possible.

Increased importance of mobile web design & further refinement of app design, to ensure consumer convenience.

More competition for the management tools of data.

Most of all, this development will aid the main battlecry of many analytics practitioners, that analytics unlocks value for companies. Many professionals have become evangelists for analytics within their firms, explaining the importance of metrics to varied departments. The growth of display functionality can only strengthen the case that analytics is essential for consumer satisfaction and profitable operations.