Science-fiction retailing made real

Imagine a transponder tagged to a bottle of shampoo tracking its whereabouts in a supermarket, or a "smart" shelf informing staff to replenish the selection of cream cheese, or a mini-PC attached to the shopping cart allowing shoppers to scan their own purchases, call up bargains and navigate the store.

No, these gizmos aren't science fiction; they're cutting-edge IT retailing systems that are being tested in a supermarket in Rheinberg, Germany. The store is serving as a retail laboratory for its owner, Metro AG, together with its some 40 hardware and software partners from around the globe. And it's raising some eyebrows in the industry.

The collection of technology in Metro's Future Store initiative aims at boosting store efficiency, enabling targeted marketing and ending long queues, among other things. Indeed, if there were ever a store where the acronyms SCM (supply chain management) and CRM (customer relationship management) could be written in big, bold letters above the front door, here's the place.

Which isn't to say that everything works in the Future Store or will find its way into the market someday. This is, after all, an experimental store, but it's one that involves real customers using real technology in real time. And it's run by the fifth largest retailer in the world, with 2,300 stores in 26 countries and sales of