Editor's Note: 4 Cool Retail Technologies 
for the Hot Summer Months

4. Next-generation virtual assistants. Digital signage that uses holographic imaging and audio-visual technology to create the illusion of a real person made its U.S. debut at Duane Reade's flagship store in New York City in early July. The technology, called the Tensator Virtual Assistant, is provided by Lawrence, a Tensator Group Co., and takes the form of a female greeter who welcomes shoppers and provides them with information about anything they'd like to know about the store and its products. Completely customized for Duane Reade, the greeter currently has seven different scripts, each of which speaks to a different store element. Duane Reade is the first retailer to deploy Lawrence's Virtual Assistant technology. Other commercial applications have been in use in the U.K. at London Luton Airport and Birmingham Airport. An updated version of the Virtual Assistant is reportedly in the works, with more interactive and dynamic capabilities planned. Talk about service!