Hope to see the day when:
- an entrepreneur thinks something innovative (I’m tired of deal sites startups)
- thinks big (as you said, ‘think of addressing needs of million users’)
- when his vision is supported by a VC (even if there’s no revenue model on paper)

Why I do believe that these can be good inside stores too, is for the following reasons:
1. People want to go shopping, pay cash, bring material home. That experience is retained. Not quite in the remote shopping experience.
2. That people touch and smell things, even those which have nothing specific about the touch or the smell, is because the product is there to be touched and smelt. The decision is not really made on how the biscuit pack feels on touching or on its smell. I am largely referring to well recognized, packaged FMCG products. If there is a novelty option where touch or smell is not provided, but you will still pick up the product at the check out counter, I don’t see a reason why people would have an objection.
3. The advantages of all products showing up nice and clearly (as images), being in the right place, will be good benefit for customers.

i think it would work well.. !

- Sanjay

I have never seen ppl (shopping from street vendors to high street) not touching, feeling (with the appropriate sense – touch, smell, etc.), comparing etc. while shopping in our country. Koreans might have evolved beyond the tangible world, I dont think we Indians have.

While i think these shelves are awesome to put up at subway stations/bus-stops, or even inside the trains, busses or taxi’s; I cant for the life of me get going to a shop with these shelves and not the actual products. Why cant I do all this on any connected device.

IMHO – this is overkill.

Tech can be used to have smart shelves… which sense the product and alert the factory to send replacements no sooner are they bought – galvanizing the entire supply chain into online, real time action, if u will.

Then they can point at QR codes/NFC to add items to their virtual carts.
Also stores can show the available sizes, colors, falvours of the prduct scanned
Item.shopping lists can be shares/liked/saved etc ..

Over a period of time the stores would know the percentage of people opting for virtual shopping carts.

Also next time the shopper can start the shopping activity from his office/waiting at traffic lights, then once at Store he can add more items or just checkout even before entering the store. Once people are comfortable with this the shopping shelf can be put anywhere(bus stops/magazines/newspapers/websites/Facebook pages)

Also the store would have data for shopping habits of individual shoppers.

Regd the hybrid model, I think the stores with actual products at present can also test this model. This items would all be real, but a shopper can choose to pick up a trolley or else scan a QR at entrance to download the Store’s shopping app(this is just a one time activity, so next time the shopper can just walkin)
.
Then instead of picking up things and filing a trolley, the user can scan a QR code(NFC in future). a display screen for that specific product will be shown on the customer’s smart phone/pad. It can display additional information like offers, other colors/flavours/sizes available. Also same product by a diff company(think of scanning maggi, and app would should top ramen as suggested item( if store as more margin on it)

The user can also Like/Share/Save/Add to Favorite an item or complete shopping list.

Then if user wants he will be emailed the nutrional charts/recipes of the items bought.

With time if more customers start using this, the store can eradicate the actual stores in some pilot localities. The stores would also have data for shopping habits of specific individuals.

Also next time when you are going to a mall/store you can start your shopping by adding your already known items(eggs/milk/soaps ..etc) from comfort of your office or while waiting at a traffic light to turn green. Once you are at store just add couple more or just checkout even before entering the store.

Over a period of time people wil no longer visit stores and grocery shopping would become an activity to be done in absolute free time(waiting for bus, metro, sutting on comode, stuck in traffic jam) this is what TESCO has implemented in South Korea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGaVFRzTTP4

http://blog.webpro.in/2011/08/new-dimension-to-ecommerce-and-online.html

The video in the above link explains :

how one need not wait for people to come to your store or wait for them to find you on the internet and search engines. Go one step ahead and take the store to the people.Make it available wherever you think people can squeeze in some time to use their smart phones to shop. Don’t wait for them to find and search for your store. Create Virtual Stores to blend into their everyday lives.