Ah, technology. Where would we be without it? Or, more to the point, where will we be in terms of retail technology in the coming year? Let’s look at some current and predicted retail technology trends for 2017.

Hand-held devices play a starring role

Every year, Innovative Retail Technologies conducts a retail tech spending survey. They note some recent trends will undoubtedly continue – most prominently, increasing investment in mobile technology. They say mobile will be used more for point-of-sale. It will also be used to increase sales associate productivity, giving them greater inventory visibility, and helping them manage customer relationships, as well as basic tasks. Inventory accuracy and efficiencies are critical, especially for multi-channel retailers.

But that’s just the tip of the trends iceberg. You can check out the survey’s results here.

Paper or Plastic?

Retail Technology Trends suggests a new take on this question commonly heard at grocery checkout stations. They note that businesses in most industries have moved away from the wasteful use of paper. But not retailers. Most notable? Customers are still presented with printed receipts. Many stores issue plastic instead of paper, especially for loyalty cards. Yet today’s retail technology offers a faster, simpler, more eco-friendly alternative – the electronic receipt.

Reasons for not making the switch (some might call them excuses) range from, “customers like to check their receipts” to “we need them in case of exchanges.” But it’s not just retail technology that is increasingly mobile. Your customers are armed with their smartphones at all times. With a unique identifier, they could instantly receive and use electronic receipts, loyalty IDs, etc. Talk about a better customer experience!

Therefore this trend for 2017 is “neither.” Instead of paper or plastic, retailers can adopt technology in keeping with the times. And save a few trees in the process. (P.S. Think of all the money you’ll save on paper, ink, printer maintenance, etc. And think of the marketing opportunities!)

It’s all about the consumer in 2017

Must-follow technology trends are the ones that give customers more choices and make shopping easier and more personalized for them. The better you can connect with shoppers individually, the more likely you are to retain them and strengthen their loyalty to your brand. Tech experts say you should consider:

• Using geo-fencing to direct messages and instant discounts to customers in your store or nearby, especially already-loyal customers.
• Using customer data, responsive design, and predictive analytics to make shopping and purchasing more personalized and more convenient.

How tech-savvy is your retail establishment? If you’re still waiting to implement best practices from a few years ago, you may find your store struggling as you move through the new year. You can be sure your competitors are eyeing the latest retail trends – and planning which ones they’ll be using to attract new customers and give them an exceptional shopping experience.

So get ready for 2017. The future is now.