Gone are the times when consumers visited malls to shop, so, the concept of ‘futuristic malls’ has been taken up by industrialized hegemonies like U.S.A and China. Soon, malls will be equipped with technological features that we would have never imagined to see, eventually leading to the downfall of online stores. In today’s world, every mall has a touch screen display that guides you through the mall. But what if this feature was upgraded? If these touch screen displays could analyze your previous shopping history by recognizing your face and guide you accordingly, you wouldn’t be able to take your hands off the screen. A lot of malls are also working on making humanoids as their ‘tour guides’. These tour guides are proficient in about 10 languages and make it easier and entertaining for tourists.
Trying on makeup and scrubbing it off is a herculean task, so cosmetic shops in the malls can come up with a technology that lets you choose the make that you want to try on, and also show you how you would look with it, virtually. This eliminates the process of removing the makeup and also makes it easier for consumers with respect to time. In addition to this, body scanners that recommend outfits for you would be a hit! This technology can be incorporated in hair salons in the malls where you can check out different hair styles and get the one that suits you the best. Three dimensional printers that print on demand will allow children to make their own toys! In a futuristic mall, I don’t envisage long lines of people waiting to get their products billed. Billing will be done by every individual using a mobile application, and of course, strict anti-theft security systems will be put in place. The reason why malls are losing their customers is because of time constraint. If futuristic malls begin to focus on how time can be saved by adding required technology, all will be in place for them eventually.
Works cited
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Dixon, Patrick. "Future Shopping Malls - And Death of Small Outlets." Globalchange.com. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. http://www.globalchange.com/future-shopping-malls-and-death-of- smaller-outlets-future-retail-trends-keynote-speaker.htm#
Gustafson, Krystina. "Welcome to the Mall of 2039." CNBC. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. <http://www.cnbc.com/2014/07/30/the-mall-of-the-future-its-nothing-like-today- test.html#>.
Draxler, Breanna. "SEVEN WAYS TECHNOLOGY WILL MAKE THE MALL OF THE FUTURE NOT SUCK." Popular Science. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. <http://www.popsci.com/seven-ways-technology-will-transform-shopping-in-future#>.
Fantoni, Roberto. "The Future of the Shopping Mall." McKinsey&Company. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. <http://www.mckinseyonmarketingandsales.com/the-future-of-the-shopping- mall#>.
