You don’t need to hop in a time-traveling DeLorean to see how the wonders of technology will continue to reshape many aspects of our lives, such as the way we shop. They might not be widely used just yet, but several emerging technologies that are bound to change your buying habits already exist. From virtual dressing rooms to high-tech checkout counters and shopping carts, get to know what’s in store for your future weekend and holiday shopping sprees.
Services currently gaining traction
Social shopping
Social media has become an enormous part of our lives in recent years, so it’s not surprising that both brick-and-mortar and online stores have started giving their businesses a social spin. Urgently looking for a gift to buy? Check out popular online pinboard Pinterest to browse items, filtered according to price.
Many traditional retail stores have Facebook Pages and Twitter accounts where they announce their newest and hottest goods, as well as the deals and discounts they’re offering. Social community The Fancy offers discounts and coupons to users based on the nature of the images they “Fancy,” which is the site’s equivalent to Facebook’s Like and Pinterest’s Pin It. Fab.com, another social shopping site, has a Live Feed similar to Facebook’s news feed that shows you what other members buy and like.
Other social shopping services include Karma, which helps you buy gifts for your Facebook friends; Sneakpeeq, which posts every item you “peeq” at on Facebook; and Kaboodle, a social bookmarking service for online shops.
Location, location, location
Apps like Shopkick (download Shopkick for your iPhone or Android) give you incentives for simply walking into stores. If you use popular location-based social networking app Foursquare, chances are you can find several local establishments that offer discounts when you check in. A web portal called Poorsquare makes it easier for you by collating all the generous deals for 85 U.S. cities in one place.
Companies like Groupon, LivingSocial, and even AT&T and Google offer local deals that encourage you to support businesses in your area. Clearly, your location will play a bigger and bigger part of your shopping experience.
Get a perfect, custom fit
Tired of jeans that don’t quite follow your curves or shirts that fit your torso but are too tight around the arms? Everyone’s body is shaped differently, and to get a perfect fit, you sometimes have to get your clothes altered. But by using 3D scanning technology, all the clothes you buy will fit the contours of your body to a T.
Companies like Bodymetrics and Fitted Fashion scan your body in high-tech booths to get the most accurate measurements, so they can customize clothes just for you. Right now, both companies focus on making the perfect pair of jeans, but they plan to expand their offerings.
Technologies to look forward to
Try it on, virtually
We bet trying on fab clothes in cramped, cubicle-like fitting rooms isn’t your idea of a good time. But unless you’re a VIP in a posh, high-fashion boutique, you don’t have much of a choice. That’s why we’re sure you’re going to love the virtual dressing rooms and augmented reality apps that put your passion for fashion at your fingertips.
Want to shop online for a new pair of shades or eyeglasses? You don’t need to guess which pair looks best on you — use the eBay Fashion iPhone app (download eBay Fashion for iPhone) to superimpose a pair of eyewear you’re checking out on a picture of your face.
But what if you want to buy something bigger than a pair of glasses?
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