Brick and mortar retailers are set to harness eye-tracking technology and heart rate monitors in order to gain a better understanding of their customers’ shopping preferences, according to academic members within The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

“Changing heart rates in a retail setting can usually be linked to changes in emotion, with an increased heart rate being indicative of excitement,” says Christopher James, IEEE Senior Member and professor of biomedical engineering at the School of Engineering, University of Warwick. “In order to monitor changes in heart rate properly, the customer would really have to ‘connect’ with the merchandise to show changes that are discernible beyond normally physiologic fluctuations associated with day-to-day life.”

The IEEE also forecasts that 3D printing, putting manufacturing in the hands of customers, NFC technology, turning the phone into the modern wallet, and autonomous drones will be the retail technologies of the future. “3D printing is becoming more applicable for a range of products and will continue to push the boundaries for a number of industries, including retail,” comments George K. Thiruvathukal, IEEE member and professor of computer science at Loyola University, Chicago. “We are still in the early stages and although there are still many barriers to mainstream consumer adoption, there are great opportunities that this technology could lend towards education and the DIY movement, such as promoting the ability to create and innovate.”

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