A Promising Look at the Customer of the Future at Launch Beacon 2014

Having attended Launch Beacon conference in New York earlier this week, I returned home with great optimism about the future of commerce and retail. New technology (specifically iBeacon) is laying the foundation for a more customer centric approach to traditional retail and payment paradigms.

The shelf life of slow, and counter intuitive customer interactions is quickly reaching it’s expiry date. Fast and easy to navigate restaurant ordering and payment solutions from Downtown will change the frustrating process of waiting for a server to take your order and bring you a bill in your favourite food joint. Innovation from Toronto’s Tulip Retail will empower the next generation of retail associates with the tools and information at their fingertips to deliver the most personalized and informed customer interactions we have seen. Innovation from Syracuse’s Density will usher in new tools to help customers understand how packed their favourite restaurant is before even stepping foot inside.

While a number of themes emerged at Launch, the most inspiring may have been confirmation that the customer of the future will be afforded more opportunities, information and better experiences than those who have stood in check-out lines before us. Technologies such as iBeacon will put context relevant content in the hands of customers, empowering them with the tools to make faster, more informed quality choices than ever before.