Retailers expect to have a much greater reliance on in-store technology by 2015, a report has revealed.
The research, carried out on behalf of Visa Europe and based on the predictions of 300 retailers including convenience store operators, shows that 22.2% expect to introduce automated self-scanning for customers in the next seven years.
Product tracking for inventory using RFID, and targeted promotions delivered directly to consumers' mobile phones while they shop, are also likely to become popular.
The report shows that 38.4% of retailers expect to use technology to send targeted promotional texts in the future.
Kiosks and touchscreens located near products to give customers information are likely to be adopted by 47.2% of retailers, while 18.3% felt that networking technology could be used to build up a social network around stores and products. Contactless payment and phone-enabled contactless payment also look likely to be adopted by 30.2% and 40.1% respectively.
There was also support for the idea that smaller stores provide pick-up points for customers who had ordered goods.