However, according to The Ledger that may no longer be of much concern as retail employees are phased out.  The introduction of self-service stations, kiosks and vending machines have made the actual salesperson more and more scarce.

Retail Jobs Evaporate as Shoppers Adjust to Self-Service

Integrated marketing supposes that the sum of the whole is greater than the parts.  In order to achieve the greatest marketing impact, all forms of media should communicate the same brand message to the consumer at as many touch points as possible.  The store is an important part of that mix.  The store is the last place where marketers still have a captive audience.  TIVO and DVR have significantly diminished the impact of TV commercials.  Internet advertising was all the rage but consumers have begun to resent commercial intrusions on their Internet pass times requiring marketers to be very careful not to use websites as billboards.  Consumers are increasingly picky about how and when they want to hear about what you’re selling.  This makes every opportunity to communicate that much more important and elevates the store as a valuable media.

However, because shoppers are more sensitive to marketing communication, when using the store as a media, marketers must understand the value of quality execution as well as continuous improvement. 

Wishart goes on to describe the challenges of measuring the impact of in-store marketing, the first of which being execution.  The bottom line is if your shopper doesn’t see your message or if they don’t see the message the way it was intended, it will not create lift.  Not only that but you must ensure that your program is installed properly and on time.  “Execution that is late can be irrelevant or destructive to the brand and the retailer,” said Jim Hanek, vice president, product leadership at Nielsen. 

Nielsen attempted to launch an in-store media ratings system.  They are a long ways off from that technology however, in anticipation retailers and marketers can begin developing systems for raising the quality of execution through monitoring and continuous improvement.  Those that do will be ready for the next shift in brand communications strategy.

There are several retail technologies that have retail enthusiasts buzzing.

First there is Advanced Media Services’ 3GTV.  Advertising in stores is undeniably the way to go in today’s fragmented media marketplace.  However, figuring out how to do that without intruding on the shopping experience is a conundrum.  Advanced Media is proposing showing TV commercials on store shelves via mini video screens. 

“People are still watching television, but they’re spread out among hundreds of channels and the Internet,” Mr. Manning [former chairman and chief executive officer at the JWT division of WPP] said. “The one place where people re-aggregate themselves back into a crowd again is the retail store.”

The shelf placement approach contrasts with in-store TV networks which are typically positioned at checkout, after purchase decisions have been made.  Manufacutures can buy ad space to tell stories and push information right next to their products when the shopper is still in the decision-making process.

While product advertising may be more of a manufacturer concern, improving the store experience is definitely a retailer priority.  Two different technologies propose to minimize the most annoying part of any trip to any store — waiting in line. 

You can’t talk about technology without talking about Apple products.  Global Bay is using the iPhone to present a mobile POS device that allows shoppers to checkout from anywhere in the store with the help of any salesperson holding the device.  Apple stores already employ a technology that does away with the cash wrap.  Global Bay would like to see that become the standard.  Watch their videos to see how the handheld device could stop loss due to checkout weariness.

In South Korea researchers have taken the checkout issue a step further and want to eliminate that part of the experience altogether.  Science News reports that Sunchon National University teamed up with researchers at Rice University in Houston, TX to develop RFID tags that can be printed right onto product packaging.  The short story is that printing tags on the packing is relatively cheap and would allow computers to read what a shopper has in her cart and check her out without ever waiting in line.  The idea is similar to toll booth devices that allow cars to ride through without stopping.  The same thing would happen at the store.  Shoppers would just push their carts through the checkout line, RFID tags on all the merchandise is read and they can keep on walking out to the car.  Read the Science News article for all the gritty details.