ZigBee Retail Services Heralds Next Generation Shopping Experience

-- Standard enables more consumer control, helps retailers increase operational efficiencies  

SAN RAMON, California, Nov. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The ZigBee^® Alliance, a global ecosystem of organizations creating wireless solutions for use in energy management, commercial and consumer applications, today announced that it had completed and ratified the ZigBee Retail Services standard. It is now available to ZigBee members for product development. ZigBee Retail Services is an open, global, easy to implement standard that helps retailers reinvent the shopping experience, strengthen customer loyalty and improve operational efficiencies.

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Created to benefit retailers and consumers alike, ZigBee Retail Services helps seamlessly network devices such as Personal Shopping Assistants, Intelligent Shopping Carts, Electronic Shelf Labels, Asset Tracking Tags, Employee Customer Concierge and even In-Home Gateways. ZigBee Retail Services allows retailers to implement multiple components of the in store environment such as shopping, asset tracking, energy management, merchandising and marketing, and pharmacy services on a single network. This holistic approach enables retailers to reduce costs, increase efficiency and obtain information about customer shopping behavior to be used for improving services.

"The ratification of ZigBee Retail Services is a significant step in transforming retail shopping for both customers and businesses," said Marnette Perry, Senior Vice President, The Kroger Co. "This innovative technology will help retailers strengthen shopper loyalty by providing them a truly pleasant in store experience from the time they arrive at the store and virtually eliminate wait times as they leave."

The capabilities of the ZigBee Retail Services standard will have a substantial impact on productivity and efficiency across the entire supply chain enabling retailers to monitor items from their source through warehousing to in store shelves. Safety and security will be enhanced in distribution by way of asset tracking and monitoring temperature and humidity of perishables, reducing spoilage and spillage. The proven reliability and scalability of ZigBee systems combined with the ability to integrate with other ZigBee standards such as ZigBee Building Automation, ZigBee Light Link and ZigBee Smart Energy further magnifies the benefits retailers can derive in terms of operating costs and impact on the environment. Retailers can also take advantage of standardization by combining devices from multiple suppliers into a single network which easily integrates with back end systems.

Development of this standard was led by industry leading retail and wireless communications leaders including The Kroger Co., Philips, Schneider Electric, Texas Instruments, AT&T, Exegin, Kinney Consulting, Nietzsche, San Juan Software, STMicroelectronics, Telecom Italia, Ubilogix, V-Mark, and Wincor-Nixdorf. The standard was validated by following ZigBee Alliance processes with the assistance of independent test services organizations. The testing process ensures compliance with the standard so that consumers can be assured that all the ZigBee Retail Services compliant products will interoperate, regardless of who builds them.

"ZigBee Retail Services changes the paradigm for all stakeholders in the retail industry," said Tobin J.M. Richardson, Chairman & CEO of the ZigBee Alliance. "The benefits of the new way of shopping and retailing will be good for the customers, good for the retailers and good for the environment."

More information about the benefits and features of ZigBee Retail Services, as well as a whitepaper are available at www.ZigBee.org/RetailServices.

Free Webinar
Attend a free online ZigBee webinar on December 10, 2013 titled "ZigBee Retail Services – Delivering Next Generation Shopping Experience" to learn more about the standard. Register today at https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/392632463.

ZigBee: Control your world
ZigBee offers green and global wireless standards connecting the widest range of devices to work together intelligently and help you control your world. The ZigBee Alliance is an open, non-profit association of approximately 400 members driving development of innovative, reliable and easy-to-use ZigBee standards. The Alliance promotes worldwide adoption of ZigBee as the leading wirelessly networked, sensing and control standard for use in consumer, commercial and industrial areas. For more information, visit: www.zigbee.org.

ZigBee Certified 
The ZigBee Certified program ensures that products built using ZigBee standards function as expected and products from different manufacturers interoperate with each other. The certification of products is also a critical part of the Alliance's standards development process. Unlike other standards organizations, the testing and certification of products is required before any ZigBee standard is released for use. The ZigBee Certified process allows manufacturers to deliver a variety of products to customers of all types who can benefit from the simplicity of ZigBee control. To learn more about the ZigBee Certified program, visit: http://www.zigbee.org/Certification.aspx.