Dive Brief:
- Samsung will roll out a new line of smart refrigerators with large touchscreens and food-recognition technology at CES 2017 in Las Vegas, according to USA Today.
- Dubbed Family Hub 2.0, the new version of the refrigerator will include messaging and recipe apps, will be able to recognize the types of food you’ve stored inside, and can even order more grocery items through the Groceries by MasterCard app.
- Another Internet of Things product that will be introduced at CES 2017 is a smart garbage can from GeniCan, which will update a shopping list as consumers throw items away, according to VentureBeat.
Dive Insight:
While this may all seem like Big Brother is encroaching on consumers, surveys have shown that people are looking for ways to make shopping easier and these devices will definitely do that.
Retailers can take advantage of this IoT technology by investing in online ordering. Savvy companies will find a way to use the analytics from these ordering mechanisms to learn more about their customer base.
These machines can also have more of a personal connection to consumers by offering coupons to items they know they need and building loyalty with them as they do.
As these IoT devices start to become more ordinary fixtures in homes, analysts believe they will bring substantial growth to the online shopping segment. Easy communication between the entities will make shopping a breeze.
