A new type of Gingerbread for the digital age

Online retailers received a boost this week with news from Google. Chief Executive Eric Schmidt provided a glimpse of their new android phone, which will include Near Field Communication chip, enabling owners to use their phone as a credit card. The online retail industry has grown exponentially in recent years and this latest innovation could increase the sense of ease and flexibility that many shoppers already enjoy.

The new phone is due to be released to the market in the next few weeks. Will it herald the end to last minute dash to the high street to complete Christmas shopping? The answer is ‘Unlikely… for now’. The rumour mill suggests only high end android handsets will be able to integrate with the technology, innocently codenamed ‘Gingerbread’. However its introduction does continue to accelerate the growth and convergence of digital technology with our everyday lives. As consumers grow more accustomed to increasingly sophisticated technology, demand and expectations will increase in both the B2C and B2C environments. This in turn will continue to challenge our perceptions of customer service, innovation and quality of product or solution – factors which contribute to the lifeblood of every brand.