Retail Goes Virtual (Reality) With InContext And Intel

The retail industry is facing a virtual change: virtual reality. InContext Solutions announced it’s collaborating with Intel to develop new virtual reality (VR) hardware and software for the retail industry. The goal, a combined release said, is to provide the “best-in-class VR solution” and meet the changing needs of the retail ecosystem.

VR does seem to be the next, almost futuristic phase of how we view the world. The fact that it is entering the mainstream should not come a surprise according to Fortune. In fact, perhaps you should be picking out your device already.

But in the meantime, the retail industry is the next to be infiltrated by VR.

Chicago-based InContext Solutions is an international VR provider that works with retailers and manufacturers and will meld its proprietary ShopperMX software with Intel’s technology to create “optimal shopper experiences” that will limit risk, help the bottom line and minimize time and money spent toward the “retail innovation cycle.”

The ShopperMX software is typically used to digitally perform things like constructing a new in-store concept or conducting an in-depth customized research study using a team of experts and other simulations related to retail.

“Through ShopperMX we have helped global manufacturers create multiple new shelf layouts, validate them with real shopper data and then bring the winning concept to market with help from our ShopperMX Mobile app. With this collaboration, we will be able to design our VR platform to include new features and functionality for the latest technology coming out across all devices,” said Mark Hardy, CEO of InContext Solutions.

Folks at Intel said VR has high potential to disrupt retail and manufacturing industries and connect to the Internet of Things.