Compared to the flashy new robots, electric vehicles, and VR headsets that other industries highlighted at the Consumer Electronics Show last week, retailers were arguably more focused on immediate, short-term innovations rather than grand futuristic visions.
Deborah Weinswig, CEO and founder of Coresight Research, summed up retail’s contribution to the annual tech conference as “less speculative” than in past years and said “a lot of what they’re showing is available and can be implemented.”
Walmart, for instance, announced a number of tech upgrades during its keynote speech that are already available to select customers, including seamless checkout at certain Sam’s Club locations and expanded drone delivery service in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. The retail giant also highlighted how it’s using AI—a ubiquitous two-letter acronym at CES—to draw better analytics from consumer data and then provide this information to merchants.
In another example of more practical AI applications, Meta announced a partnership with advertising agency Dentsu to launch “intelligent messaging” services for brands that are currently struggling to respond to the customers who reach out via social media apps.
Among product makers, however, the new tech on display was decidedly flashier.
L’Oréal, which also gave a keynote, promoted its latest innovation in 3D shopping called Brow Magic, an electronic brow makeup applicator that scans a user’s face and then makes “recommendations for microblading, micro-shading, or filler effects.” It also touted a new handheld device called a “Meta Profiler” that the company said can provide 10-minute diagnostic consultations to customers about their skin.
Hot topics: Meanwhile, some announcements in retail were more controversial. Instacart’s AI-powered smart shopping cart, for example, was listed on iFixit’s “Worst in Show awards.” Nathan Proctor, national director for the US Public Interest Research Group, wrote in a blog post that the tech would only further inundate consumers with advertisements.
“Grocery stores are overwhelming and navigating promotions is exhausting, and I question the sanity of whoever thought we should make it worse,” he wrote.
Although it was not without its supporters: Jen Reiner, VP of omnichannel marketing at Del Monte Foods, said the carts are an “opportunity for us to provide meal inspiration, introduce new products, or simply remind the shopper to stock up on pantry staples, while continuing to deliver a personalized, relevant experience based on past shopping behaviors.”