Wearable technology is one of the hottest segments of the technology industry. Smartwatches and fitness trackers are just two examples of wearable technology devices that can deliver real-time measurement of biometric data such as heart rate, skin temperature, perspiration, calories burned, and sleep patterns.
These devices promise to improve our health and athletic performance as well as make our lives more convenient, not to mention the fashion statement we can make. Based on a study from ABI research, the wearable technology market will reach 285 million devices by 2017. Many analysts predict that by 2020, 50 billion smart devices will be connected, many of which will be worn rather than carried. Given the explosiveness of the market, it is important to think though the key design elements that should be considered in developing point-of-purchase displays for wearable technology products.
To illustrate some of the key display design considerations, let’s look at a floor display we designed for Liquid Image, a leading wearable camera manufacturer and the developer of the first in-goggle camera with the lens mounted at eye-level to allow for true POV video capture. Liquid Image offers one of the world’s smallest wireless-enabled cameras on the market as well as the industry’s largest selection of hands-free action cameras and accessories. The point-of-purchase displays for wearable technology products we designed for Liquid Image is shown above.
Jim Hollen is the owner and President of RICH LTD. (www.richltd.com), a 35+ year-old California-based point-of-purchase display, retail store fixture, and merchandising solutions firm which has been named among the Top 50 U.S. POP display companies for 9 consecutive years. A former management consultant with McKinsey & Co. and graduate of Stanford Business School, Jim Hollen has served more than 3000 brands and retailers over more than 20 years and has authored nearly 500 blogs and e-Books on a wide range of topics related to POP displays, store fixtures, and retail merchandising.
Jim has been to China more than 50 times and has worked directly with more than 30 factories in Asia across a broad range of material categories, including metal, wood, acrylic, injection molded and vacuum formed plastic, corrugated, glass, LED lighting, digital media player, and more. Jim Hollen also oversees RICH LTD.’s domestic manufacturing operation and has experience manufacturing, sourcing, and importing from numerous Asian countries as well as Vietnam and Mexico.
His experience working with brands and retailers spans more than 25 industries such as food and beverage, apparel, consumer electronics, cosmetics/beauty, sporting goods, automotive, pet, gifts and souvenirs, toys, wine and spirits, home improvement, jewelry, eyewear, footwear, consumer products, mass market retail, specialty retail, convenience stores, and numerous other product/retailer categories.