Advantech Intelligent Business Group General Manager Jiang Ming-zhe stated that with the rising tide of IoT, the era has formally arrived when the boundaries between networks and the physical become blurred in the “omni-channel.” From the customer shopping experience in front-end and point of sales, sales relationship maintenance, and big data marketing to back-end logistics management systems, this smart transformation is the development focus for sales centers and retailers. Furthermore, ICT is the key to promptly assisting this transformation into smart retail.

Jiang Ming-zhe pointed out that Advantech’s “UShop+” retail cloud service platform is an Internet technology between “cloud” and “end” that serves as the core architecture, and it can be divided into solutions such as HDI service for consumers, value-added services, and automated services in order to create new consumer experiences.

They will also provide companies with intelligent operation management solutions, such as chain store management, green logistics management, and smart business in order to provide retail outlets with one-stop retail technology integration services.

To this end, Advantech will create Taiwan’s first smart convenience store at the Hi-Life Nangang Exhibition Center. Through the installation of solutions such as a smart image recognition system, an indoor air quality detection system, mobile shopping walls, and mobile offer push notifications at Hi-Life, Advantech will allow consumers to not only experience real-time shopping deal guidance but also enable Hi-Life’s back-end headquarters to understand the number of customers, lines of movement and interest in products, and optimize future lines of movement in stores and management of added display goods.

The Hi-Life Nangang Exhibition Center is the first smart convenience store to use the “UShop+” concept. Consumers need only download the Hi-Life APP during the exhibition time, and they will be able to receive real-time beacon notifications to redeem in-store merchandise offers or play interactive games for redeemable merchandise coupons at mobile shopping walls in store doorways.

Currently, Advantech’s “UShop+” is already being used in Greenland Supermarkets in Mainland China and in 85°C Café shops, and it will gradually be exported to well-known chain restaurants in the Greater China and Southeast Asia regions.

(TR/Phil Sweeney)