However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.

Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.

50+ innovations will shape the retail industry

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the retail industry using innovation intensity models built on over 126,000 patents, there are 50+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Within the emerging innovation stage, AR-assisted shopping, planogram optimization, on-demand digital mfg are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Self-checkout, personalized lookbooks, location-based personalization are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are video commerce and in-store shopping assistance, which are now well established in the industry.

Innovation S-curve for the retail industry

Digital signage personalization is a key innovation area in retail

Digital signage personalization is the process of designing custom signages involving the use of data gathered through intelligent algorithms, sensors, and cameras, to create compelling digital marketing and advertising content that are relevant and targeted to specific audience.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 95+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established retail companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of digital signage personalization.

Key players in digital signage personalization – a disruptive innovation in the retail industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.   

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.  

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Leading companies in the digital signage personalization space in terms of patents filed are Sony Group, SoftBank Group, Casio Computer, and General Electric.

Intel is the leader in this space in terms of application diversity, while E. ON, and Interactive Solutions are in the second and third positions, respectively.

By geographic reach, Cfph is the leader, followed by Qualcomm and General Electric.

Incorporating multiple technologies such as virtual reality and IoT in digital signages enables the opportunity to make it more interactive with potential customers, enabling collection of data from various sensors in public places as they capture strategic information on prospective shoppers, thus improving data analytics.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the retail industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Retail.