Technology: 3D printing while you wait
You’re locked out of your house, and the local hardware store is closed. What to do? Hop over to the nearest 7-Eleven, where you can print yourself a new key at a KeyMe kiosk. The service stores a digital version of your key in the cloud. In the case of a lockout, you simply visit your nearest kiosk, which will 3D-print a new one. The kiosks are available at some 7-Eleven sites in Chicago, New York and New Jersey.
Retail: Smart shelf technology: The final frontier of in-store fixturing
Whole Foods, Kroger, Walgreens and Lowe’s stand tall among retailers ditching the static shelf and adopting smart solutions. This includes scrapping paper shelf tags and going digital. Beyond saving a few trees, these smart tags enable retailers to change pricing remotely and on the fly. Out-of-stock sensors keep retailers on top of empty shelves, and beacon technology beams out mobile offers to customers passing by.
Merchandise: Don't pass on the dutchie
Washington state earned $70 million in taxes in its fırst year with legal marijuana sales, and Colorado netted $44 million, according to Business Insider. It’s only a matter of time until cash-starved states see real opportunity in these initial fıgures. Navigating the complicated regulatory process is tricky, but one store in Colorado—Gas & Grass in Colorado Springs—will soon sell medical marijuana as well as fuel and other convenience items. The only blow is that, for now, the store needs a dedicated doorway for its medical-marijuana customers.
Foodservice: Why didn't I think of this first?
The things retailers are doing with sandwiches are genius, really. A sandwich made with two maple-flavored long johns instead of buns? A chicken Parmesan sub made with chicken tenders and mozzarella sticks on an Italian roll? What about one with egg rolls tucked inside? Jalapeño poppers? It’s already been done, folks. So what’s your wacky-delicious signature item?
Consumer: Gen Z: To boldly go where no one has gone before
Born after 1995, these young consumers haven’t lived without the Internet or cellphones. They say “swag” instead of “cool,” “sick” instead of “awesome,” and they live in constant FOMO (fear of missing out). They have all the latest technology at their fıngertips and therefore are always in a hurry. They are used to instant gratifıcation—something convenience stores are designed for. And one more thing: They’re in no hurry to get their driver’s license. Could this group be the consumers of your dreams? Our 2015 CSP-Technomic study [CSP—Jan. ’15, p. 30] suggests yes, but tapping them in a techie way is key.
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