Ambient commerce – Thematic Research

As Sears files for bankruptcy, high street retailers are waking up to the fact that they need to innovate in order to survive. Many are looking at increasing their share of online sales, but the truly game changing retail technology is ambient commerce. It is setting out to challenge ecommerce by combining the physical space associated with traditional retail with technology. The term describes a new form of shopping which makes use of sensors coupled with artificial intelligence (AI) to help customers select and pay for their goods without the need for keyboards or cash registers.

Ambient commerce is one use case for the Internet of Things (IoT) that offers consumers the promise of a new way to shop. It is the way that Generation Z – a cohort of 2.3 billion ‘digital natives’ who were born after 1995 – will increasingly choose to buy things.

Scope

This report provides a snapshot of some of the leaders across the ambient commerce value chain.

It highlights the main trends in the progress towards ambient commerce over the next five years.

It provides a clear value chain for ambient commerce, positioning it as a sub-theme of the Internet of Things (IoT).

It provides market size and forecast data, information on key mergers and acquisitions, and a timeline to understand the evolution of ambient computing.

It also uses a scorecard approach to show the impact of ambient commerce on companies in the internet sector.

Key Highlights

The worlds of online and offline retail are merging. Ambient commerce sits in the middle. This is why Amazon and Alibaba, the world’s dominant online retailers, have both invested billions in acquiring stakes in physical retailers. Having gained a physical foothold on the high street these etailers are now exploring the application of their technical know-how to the retail experience, by experimenting with ambient commerce in the high street.

Reasons to buy

Ambient commerce is one use case for the Internet of Things (IoT) that offers consumers the promise of a new way to shop. It is the way that Generation Z – a cohort of 2.3 billion ‘digital natives’ who were born after 1995 – will increasingly choose to buy things. Understanding of this theme is vital, therefore, for both retailers and technology companies.

Companies mentioned

Alibaba

Amazon

Intel

JD.com

Lumentum

Microsoft

Texas Instruments

BingoBox

Face++

Sage Senses

SecuriThings

SenseTime

Burberry

Farfetch

Kroger

Levi’s

Lowe’s

Lululemon

Macy’s

Next

Ocado

Rite Aid

Suning

Target

Walmart

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