The digitization of health care retailing

• Published in: Journal of research in interactive marketing 2017-01, Vol.11 (4), p.432-446
• Main Authors: Rosenbaum, Mark Scott, Ramírez, Germán Contreras, Edwards, Karen, Kim, Jiyeon, Campbell, Jeffery M, Bickle, Marianne C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Airports; Biomarkers; Collaboration; Communication; Consumer behavior; Consumer goods; Consumers; Consumption; Customer relationship management; Customer services; Customization; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Digitization; DNA; Fitness; Gene sequencing; Health care; Internet; Marketing; Nutrition; Nutrition research; Radio frequency identification; Retail stores; Retailing; Retailing industry; Shopping; Smartphones; Tags; Technological change; Technology; Trends
• ISSN: 2040-7122; 2040-7130
• DOI: 10.1108/JRIM-07-2017-0058

Purpose This paper aims to offer insights into the impact of digitization technology on consumer goods manufacturers and retail organizations. The authors propose that the “next phase” of digitization will entail the employment of digitization technology to offer consumers personalized product offerings and recommendations based on their internal biomarkers. Design/methodology/approach The authors draw on past investigations into digitization and their retailing experience to speculate on how the next phase of digitization will affect both consumer goods manufacturers and retailers. Findings The next phase of digitization will entail the use of nutrigenomics (DNA sequencing), exhaled breath analysis, fitness tracker devices, sensory patches, radio frequency identification tags and quantum ID tags to create customized and recommend products, and support product-to-customer communication regarding authenticity. Research limitations/implications Consumers will increasingly rely on technology to inform them of their bodily needs and to receive personalized solutions to help satisfy those needs. Consumer behavior theories must be reconsidered because consumers will become more passive participants in retail consumption as they rely on technology for need-recognition and product-fulfillment. Social implications Digitization technologies that use consumers’ biomarkers for new product creation or product recommendation raise new risks and uncertainty. For example, the legal implications of an incorrect product recommendation based on customer biomarkers are unknown. Furthermore, retailers would need to maintain data privacy of biomarker data and be responsible for data breaches. Originality/value The research explores how digitization will affect consumers’ in-store experiences with consumer goods products.