Many of the top March 2015 retail ideas bring harmony to the discord that exists between brick and mortar, web and mobile shopping experiences. One of the most effective ways to harness the power of technology is the implementation of location-based technology for promotions, displays and in-store ads, which can be integrated into keychains, mannequins, shop windows and apps.
In terms of store design, one of the most impressive setups comes from Made.com. This hybrid showroom features a mix of physical and digital products, which connects two ways to shop the brand. In Japan, this emphasis on blending e-commerce into physical retail can be seen with the Rakuten BOX, stations that serve as places for consumers to pick up parcels ordered online at their own convenience.
Top 45 Retail Innovations in March
From Digital Product Showrooms to Contactless POS Systems:
Laura McQuarrie — Mar 28, 2015 — Business
45
Shipping Container Campuses
Pop Brixton Aims to Bring A Sense of Community to the District
44
Hybrid Coffee Bars
All That is Solid's Cafe Interior Design Suits a Range of Needs
43
3D-Printed Retail Platforms
This 3d Startup is Now Offering Its Products on Sears.com
42
Holographic Fishing Technology
The Hunter-Gatherer Lets You Virtually Catch Your Food for Delivery
41
3D-Printed Hardware
This Partnership Shows Off Makerbot 3D-Printed Home Depot Tools & Hardware
40
Minimalist Retail Designs
The Legrand Showroom Boasts Both Exhibition and Seminar Spaces
39
Surreal Retail Display Museums
This Hermes Window Display is Made Using a Colorful Paper Medium
38
Shoppable Construction Barriers
Kate Spade's 'Coming Soon' Wall is an Interactive Retail Platform
37
3D Printing Stations
Staples Teams Up with 3D Systems to Offer 3D-Printing In-Store
36
Plastic Payment Promotions
Shoe Brand MAMUT is Accepting Plastic Bottle Payment for their New Line
35
Customizable Retail Gifts
Shapeways x Target's 3D-Printed Gifts Provide Personalization
34
Shipping Yard Shop Designs
The Nendo Backyard Store was Inspired by a Playful Commercial Rear Lot
33
Additive Manufacturing Shops
Aylesbury's 3D Print World Stocks Printer Kits and Hosts Workshops
32
LCD Ceiling Displays
The Oakley Store Display Features 27 LCD Screens
31
3D Printing Shops
Copenhagen's 3D Printhuset Makes 3D Printing Accessible to All
30
Crowdfunded Local Food Platforms
Credibles Lets You Prepay for Food and Invest in Your Community
29
Yin Yang Retail Displays
Store with a Floating Staircase Creates Enigmatic Balance Between Levels
28
VR Vending Machines
The Acure Drink Dispenser Mimics a Store Shelf to Provide Product Info
27
Luminiscent Retail Havens
The Hangzhou Apple Store in China is an Idyllic Shopping Palace
26
Digital Product Showrooms
Made.com's Display Shows Off Items Available Online and In-Store
25
Parcel Pickup Lockers
Rakuten Lets Its Online Shoppers Pick Up Parcels from a Mall Collection Box
24
Animated Bag Webshops
Bagigia's Creative Web Shop Features an Engaging User Interface
23
Rippling Retail Facades
The Seoul Givenchy Flagship Store is a Beacon of Modernity
22
Aquatic Couture Displays
This Hermes Window Display Boasts Water-Themed Imagery
21
Architectural Flagship Stores
The New Ileana Makri Flagship in Athens Creates Customer Curiosity
20
Indoor Location-Based Services
GE Lighting and ByteLight Roll Out Next-Generation LED Lighting
19
Tablet POS Systems
Elo's PayPoint Pro Register Handles Cards, Cash and Receipts
18
Pharmacy Beacon Technology
The Duane Reade App Vastly Improves Customer's In-Store Experience
17
Footwear Availability Apps
Adidas's Confirmation is a Reservation App for Limited Edition Sneakers
16
Artistic T-Shirt Webshops
The Neopolitan Clothing Website Highlights The Brand's Artful Vision
15
Beacon Treasure Hunts
Australia's Bendigo Marketplace Hosts Hi-Tech Family Scavenger Hunts
14
Personalized Loyalty Keychains
Physical Cookie Brings the Web's Best to Brick and Mortar Shopping
13
Digital Retail Showrooms
Tommy Hilfiger's High Tech Retail Concept Gets Introduced in Amsterdam
12
Local Shopping Kiosks
American Express' Shop Small Helps You Experience Local Treasures
11
Car Shopping Quizzes
TMatch Narrows Down Choices When Purchasing a Vehicle
10
Intuitive Retail UX
The TargetBuy App is Designed for Easy Interaction with Few and Familiar Icons
9
Contactless POS Systems
Proxama's Units Offer Solutions for NFC Marketing & Loyalty Platforms
8
Beacon Food Marketing
American Craft Sausages Successfully Grew in Popularity with Message Tech
7
Beacon-Optimized Chocolate Shops
Laima Chocolate Shop Introduces Low Energy Beacons
6
Beacon-Embedded Mannequins
The Westfield Ted Baker Store Introduces Location-Based Technology
5
Biometric Store Payments
This Chinese Grocery Store Features a Unique 'Face Pay' System
4
Immersive Retail Beacons
Hudson’s Bay Company Introduces iBeacon at North American Locations
3
Indie Bookstores Search Tools
CityShelf Lets You Browse the Stock of Independent Book Shops in NYC
2
Auto Buyer E-Commerce
Autohome is China's Leading Car Consumer Website
1
Location-Based Ads
Microsoft Wraps Beacon-Enabled Advertising Around Its Retail Stores
Related Ideas
AI-Managed Retail Stores
Andon Labs Deploys an AI Named Luna That Controls Store Operations
Creative Retail Competitions
Bricks & Minifigs Launches LEGO Clock Design Contest
Grocery-Inspired Beauty Pop-Ups
The Markup Marché by The Ordinary Challenges Industry Buzzwords
Art-Display Smart TVs
Amazon Turns Televisions into Gallery-Style Digital Canvases
Experiential Convenience Stores
FamilyMart Announced IP-Centered Store Experiences in Japan
Shoppable TV Ads
Samsung and Amazon Enable Remote-Based Shopping Directly on TV
Hyper-Personalized AI Shopping Tech
OTB Group Embraces Hyper-Personalization with Google Cloud
Curated Store Concepts
A New Target Soho Store Opens in New York with Design-First Looks
AI-Driven Shoppable Catwalks
Topshop and THG Studios are Hosting a Next-Gen Fashion Experience
Luxury Eyewear Pop-Ups
Prada Opens an Immersive Eyewear Boutique at The Grove
Mobile Retail Experiences
Duluth Trading Brings Apparel Shopping to Events with a Mobile Showroom
Design-Forward Concept Stores
Target SoHo is Immersive, Experiential and Shoppable
AI Chat Shopping Systems
Shopify Brings Retail to ChatGPT
Faux Food Pop-Ups
MoMA Design Store Unveils an Immersive 'MoMA Mart' Pop-Up for NYC
Interactive Advertising Installations
Intimissimi's 'Feel the Billboard' Uses Tactile Advertising
Fashion-Branded Café Experiences
Vogue Blends Retail with Immersive Hospitality Spaces
Autonomous Smart Store Installations
VenHub Global and Circa Introduced the VenHub Smart Store
Experiential K-Beauty Retail
Yepoda Opens an Immersive Flagship Store in Seoul
Flagship Value Fashion
Primark expands affordable fashion with a major Manhattan flagship store
Sensory Retail Experiences
Claire’s Launches ASMR-Inspired Stores for Gen Alpha Shoppers
Clinical K-Beauty Pop-Ups
Rejuran Debuts Science-Led Skincare Through a Sephora LA Activation
Entertainment-Powered Retail Experiences
AT&T Brings Toy Story 5 to Interactive Store Activations
Experiential Brand Stores
New Era Creates Interactive Retail Space With Custom Cap Design
AI Retail Forecasts
Experts Outline how AI will Reshape Commerce By 2026
AI Shopping Integrations
Sephora’s ChatGPT App Enables AI-Powered Product Discovery
AI-Powered Product Discovery Tools
The Vitamin Shoppe's Shoppe Advisor Supports In-Store Education
AI Retail Concierge Systems
Puma’s In-Store AI Assistant Offers Multilingual Product Guidance
AI-Powered Shopping Features
John Lewis Launches a TikTok Shop Trial
DTC Physical Retail Expansions
Povison Opens Its First Permanent Store in Los Angeles
Mobile Beauty Pop-Ups
Henkel’s göt2b Debuts a Citywide Mobile Beauty Experience
Luxury Design-Led Retail
ALAÏA Opens a Bangkok Boutique Featuring Collectible Design Pieces
AI-Powered Shoppable Runways
Topshop and THG Studios Hosted a Front Row AI Experience
Renaissance-Inspired Curated Beauty Marketplaces
Rennaï Has Launched an E-Commerce Website
AI Retail Experiences
RELEX Solutions Uses AI to Elevate In-Store Customer Journeys
Modern Consumer-Tech Stores
Nothing Announced its First Physical Store in India
Compact IKEA Retail Spaces
IKEA Launches Smaller Stores Focused on Quick Visits and Essentials
Retail Receipt Kiosks
OnQ And Epson Streamline In-Store Fulfillment Workflows
Shoppable Discovery Commerce
SmartCommerce and Ahold Delhaize USA Connect Content to Carts
AI Merchant Discovery Ecosystems
Amazon’s Shop Direct is Now Available for Merchants
Content-Driven Flagship Retail
GARAGE Builds an Immersive Flagship in New York's Flatiron District
Virtual Try-On Tools
Clothing Virtual Try On Shows Realistic Outfits For Online & Retail Shopping
Retail Ad Service Partnerships
Asda Becomes the First UK Retailer with Amazon Retail Ad Service
Experiential Brand Cafés
Nutella Reimagines Its Chicago Café with Digital Ordering and a New Menu
Smart Retail Technology Expansions
A2Z Cust2Mate Secures Advertising Agreements with Major Brands
Mobile Luxury Boutiques
Mytheresa Tours the Hamptons with a Curated Mobile Boutique
Closed-Loop Retail Media Networks
Sam’s Club connects ads directly to measurable sales outcomes
AI-Enabled Personalized Retail Experiences
Honeywell Implements an AI-Driven Retail System
Emotionally Intelligent Retailer Platforms
JK Tech Spotlights Its Artificial Intelligence Platform
Curated Discovery Stores
The Shelf Spotlights Emerging Food, Drink and Wellness Brands
Social-First Retail Commerce
Shoezone expands TikTok Shop through creator-led shopping
AI-Powered Retail Tool Expansions
Lightspeed Commerce Updates Its Retail-Focused Offerings
Experiential Running Shoe Shops
House of SportsShoes Merges Digital Presence & Physical Experience
AI-Powered Retail Platforms
Target Introduced a Mobile App Rebuild with AI Coding Companions
AI Checkout Kiosks
Retailers Embrace AI Vision To Speed Self-Checkout Lines
Mobile Retail Terminals
Toshiba Launches the TCx M7 for Flexible In-Store Checkout
Autonomous Retail Merchandising Platforms
Retail Express Uses AI to Automate Pricing and Discounts
Compact Urban Grocery Retail
Whole Foods Expanded Daily Shop Stores into Three U.S. Cities
Personalized Home Shopping Platforms
MAiN Creates a 3D Model from a Single Image Using AI
Novel Multi-Brand Retail Experiences
Lightspeed Commerce Debuts Multi-Brand Shopping and Ordering
Subway Station Fashion Takeovers
Reitmans Hosts its Spring 2026 Lower Bay Station Preview
Swiss-Engineered Virtual Presentation Systems
The ShowCase Caters to the Needs of Luxury Brands
Experience-Enhancing POS Retail Apps
MomentScience Reveals MomentApps
Boutique Jewelry Concepts
Rocksbox is Expanding Its Presence in Metropolitan Areas
Luxury Retail Ecosystems
Exemplar Luxury Group Unites Three Luxury Retail Banners
Playful Tokyo Pop-Ups
Duomart Introduces a Themed Convenience Experience in Tokyo
Experience-Enabled Franchises
Magnolia Soap & Bath Co. Uses Square to Scale Retail Experiences
In-Store Return Kiosks
Save Mart And Amazon Simplify Box Free In Store Returns
Enterprise Retail Technology Upgrades
David's Bridal Introduced a New Enterprise Platform
Flagship Retail Spaces
Marc-Antoine Barrois Opens Its SoHo Flagship Store
Direct-to-Consumer Storefront Debuts
William-Sonoma’s GreenRow Opens a Physical SoHo Store
Retail Tech Revamps
Claire's Invests in Modern POS and Data Integration
Elemental Retail Spaces
Goldwin Creates a Multi-Sensory Retail Environment in New York City
In-Store Audio Channels
Custom Channels Unveils Unified In-Store Engagement Platform
Nationwide Digital Grocery Experiences
ALDI U.S. Partners with Instacart’s Storefront Pro
Sports Lifestyle Retail
Nordstrom Blends World Cup Fashion with Immersive Pop-Ups
Mobile-First POS Systems
Boot Barn Launches Its Mobile POS Platform
Digital Twin Retail Technologies
Hanshow and Microsoft Explore the Store Digital Twin Technology
AI-Powered Shopping Ecosystems
Wayfair Partnered With Google on AI Commerce Infrastructure
Localized Retail Media Platforms
Snappy Shopper Launches Connect, a Retail Media Network
Curated Resale Storefronts
eBay's The NYC Edit Storefront Shares Tastemaker Selections
Retail-Style Hotel Commerce
Aven Hospitality Embeds E-Commerce Features into Hotel Journeys
Immersive Tech Retail Experiences
The Latest Xiaomi Store in London Showcases Tech and Lifestyle
Sustainable Retail Interiors
Sheep Inc London Store Uses Sculptural Displays & Graphic Art
AI-Powered Digital Displays
Intellino Signamic Unites a Brand's Online and Physical Presence
RFID Location Mapping Systems
Cartesian Launches Its Real-Time Store-Tracking Platform
Shelf-Less Retail Stores
Goody Goody Liquor Uses Robots and QR Codes to Replace Shelving
Grocery Shelf Edge Pilots
Pricer Piloted Its Pricer Avenue™ Platform with East of England Co-Op
Interactive Robotic Demonstrations
GoLabs and GOTRAX Partner to Spotlight a New Golf Cart
AI-Powered Discovery Commerce
Shopen AI Personalizes Product Discovery and Deal Finding
Store Experience Platforms
Cegid Launches Its Cegid Retail One to Consolidate In-Store Tools
Interactive Retailer Screen Installations
Looma Deploys Its In-Store Digital Media System at BJ's
Conversational Visual Shopping
Amazon Lens Live Matches Products Through Real-Time Scanning
Tech-Advanced Smart Retail Solutions
ZKONG Showcases Its Smart Retail Solutions in Düsseldorf
Contemporary Point-Of-Sale Systems
Vibe Retail Delivers a Cloud-Based POS Software Alternative
Creator-Led Beauty Commerce
Amazon India Combines Creator Content and Beauty Shopping
In-Store Creator Commerce
Mac Cosmetics Turns Retail Employees into Live-Streaming Creators
Shelf Digitization Strategies
Coresight Research and Simbe highlight retail shelf digitization
Expanded Visual Search Features
Amazon Unveiled Its Visual Search Capabilities in Shopping App
Running Footwear Showrooms
The Brooks Spring/Summer 2027 showroom previews upcoming footwear
Intelligent Retail Infrastructure
Supermicro Spotlights Its Intelligent In-Store Retail Solutions
Clinical Retail Media
PatientPoint Bridges Healthcare and Commerce
Streamlined Payment Integrations
365 Retail Markets Incorporates VisionLink to Its Smart Stores
Digital Shelf Label Systems
Walmart Introduces the New Digital Shelf Labels Nationwide
AI Store Assistants
xPilot Helps Retailers Make Proactive Moves with Digital Twin Technology
Spatial Commerce Platforms
Curie Shop Brings Interactive Product Exploration To Sneaker Shopping
Interactive Real Estate Showrooms
DUNE Uses Eyefactive Touchscreens for Virtual Property Tours
South Korean Monotone Shop-In-Shops
juun.j Debuted a Shop-In-Shop at The Hyundai Seoul
Hybrid Beauty Discovery
Ulta Beauty Finds Gen Alpha Blends AI Tools with In-Store Shopping
Integrated POS Ecosystems
Rogers Launches a Platform Combining Payments, Rewards, and More
AI Retail Infrastructure Platforms
Huawei Expands Intelligent Retail Systems Across Europe
Executive Innovation Insight Services
Retail Innovation Council And dunnhumby Launch 'RIX'
AI Grocery Ordering
Grocery Outlet Deploys Afresh Across More Than 500 Stores
Retail Beverage Experiences
The Paper Store Uses Custom Drink Stations to Boost Engagement
Multi-Sensory Fashion Flagships
Réalisation Par's Mount Street Flagship Has a Novel Martini Phone
Managed Retail Connectivity Services
Internet Retailing Introduced ConsumerX Managed Connectivity
Video-Based Mystery Shopping Technologies
Blaze Pizza Partners with Reality Based Group
Phygital Loyalty Experiences
Lush Links App Rewards to In-Store Events and Services
Community Hub Convenience Stores
Co-op turns local stores into delivery and service hubs
In-Store Retail Media Networks
Raley's Expands Shopper Advertising Through Grocery TV
First-Of-Its-Kind Digital Coupons Programs
Inmar Intelligence Partners with bp and Axonet
AI-Native Store Research
Vusion and Qualcomm Released the AI-Native Store™ White Paper
In-Store Ad Networks
ISM Powers Programmatic Advertising Across Retail Locations
Digital Shelf Edge Labels
James Hall & Co. Rolls Out the SOLUM Electronic Shelf Edge Labels
Service-Backed Recommerce Platforms
Commonplace Launches Marketplace With Built-In Delivery
AI Kitchen Design Platforms
3D Cloud Introduces Conversational Tools for Custom Kitchen Planning
Personalized Greeting Card Kiosks
Expressions Launches the Expressions Gift Card Kiosk
Omnichannel Retail Media Networks
Target's Roundel Expands Advertising Across Streaming and Stores
Modular Drive-Thru Displays
Creative Realities Debuts Flexible Digital Drive-Thru Platform
Digital-First Furniture Stores
Article Debuted Its Direct-To-Consumer Furniture Stores in the U.S.
Experience-Focused Retail Carts
Target Redesigned Shopping Carts for Comfort and Convenience
Strategic Reward-Focused Retail Campaigns
WeShop Launches 'Shopping Starts Here' Campaign
Marketplace Showrooms
StockX Combines Shopping, Seller Services and Community Events in New York
Retail Media Leadership Communities
RETHINK Retail Launches Executive Media in Retail Community
Integrated Retail Execution Services
JLL Streamlines Retail Development Services
Specialized Retail Execution Teams
The Reset Team Launches National Merchandising Service
Digital Furniture Showcases
The Canton Fair is Hosting Its March Industry Thematic Event
Modular Assisted Checkout Systems
Scotmid Co-op Deploys the New 4POS Assisted Checkout
iPad Vision Self-Checkout Systems
VisioLab Launches Its AI-Powered iPad Checkout Interface
AI-Enabled POS Features
Pilot Standardizes Operations With Gilbarco Veeder-Root POS Platform
Global Home Improvement Stores
Vevor Opens Doors to its First U.S. Storefront