Merging the Physical and Digital Worlds: Retail Refined

In a (bring your own device) retail world, the lines between the physical and digital worlds continue to merge thanks to the possibilities of computer vision. In this episode with guest Christian Floerkemeier, CTO and co-founder of Scandit, learn how Scandit is helping retailers automate end-to-end retail operations by moving routine processes and tasks onto mobile devices powered by high-performance barcode scanning software. From consumer self-scanning apps for self-checkout and Scan-and-Go shopping to augmented reality for access to real-time information, they are redefining retail one scan at a time via intelligent text and object recognition capturing customer imagination and reducing operational costs.

About the Guest

Christian Floerkemeier: CTO, VP Product, and co-founder of Scandit
As CTO and VP Product, Scandit co-founder Christian Floerkemeier is responsible for Scandit’s product strategy and roadmap and is the technical lead behind Scandit’s patented Barcode Scanner technology.

Before founding Scandit, Christian was the Associate Director of the Auto-ID Lab at MIT and a member of the MIT research team that developed the RFID technology which is today in use in major supply chains. Christian also co-founded Fosstrak, the leading open-source RFID software platform that implements the EPC Network specification. He was the technical program chair of the Internet of Things Conference in 2008 and IEEE RFID 2009 and general chair of IEEE RFID 2011.

Christian received a PhD in Computer Science from ETH Zurich and a Bachelor and MEng degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cambridge.

About the Company

Scandit enables businesses and consumers to interact with everyday objects by blending the physical and digital worlds using computer vision. Scandit technology is a unique machine learning platform combining leading-edge barcode scanning, text recognition (OCR), object recognition and augmented reality (AR) for use on any camera-equipped smart device, from smartphones to drones, wearables and robots.

Many of the world’s most successful companies use Scandit as part of their digital transformation, including 7-Eleven, Alaska Airlines, Carrefour, Hermes, La Poste, Levi Strauss & Co, Sephora and Toyota.

What Melissa Asked

  • How does Scandit blend the physical and digital worlds using computer vision?
  • Why did you start the company and how has your vision evolved since then?
  • How do you see changing behaviors due to COVID accelerating adoption for in-store technology integration?
  • How does Scandit take costs out of operational costs?
  • How long does it take you to get a store up and running, and optimized?
  • Are there a couple of retail use cases/success story examples you can share?

Listen To Previous Episodes of Retail Refined Right Here!

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

IP501H
The IP501H Brings Effortless, Wide-Area Communication to Your Team
February 4, 2026

Meet the IP501H, a cellular two-way radio built for instant wide-area communication over LTE (4G) and 3G networks. It works just like a traditional radio—supporting individual, group, and all-call conversations—without the need for repeaters or a dedicated IP network. With everything included in the box, the IP501H is designed for quick setup and fast…

Read More
IP730D
One Radio, Three Networks, Seamless Coverage: Meet the IP730D
February 4, 2026

The IP730D is a true game-changer in professional communications, blending LTE, IDAS, and analog networks into one powerful hybrid radio. Designed for flexibility and confidence in the field, it uses dual PTT buttons to let users transmit and receive across networks seamlessly—delivering reliable, wide-area coverage wherever it’s needed. From the moment it comes out of…

Read More
IP-M60
One Device, Two Networks: Meet IP-M60, the World’s First LTE and VHF Marine Hybrid Transceiver
February 4, 2026

The IP-M60 sets a new standard in marine communications by bringing LTE and VHF into a single, purpose-built hybrid transceiver. It uniquely combines a traditional VHF marine transceiver—relied on worldwide for maritime safety—with LTE connectivity for long-range, land-based communication within cellular coverage. By uniting these two networks in a single handheld device, the IP-M60…

Read More
solo sailing
Solo Sailing Around the World Demands Reliable Communication, Sound Judgment, and a Respect for Risk
February 4, 2026

For most people, crossing an ocean by sail sits firmly in the realm of the dangerous and impractical. Doing it alone, on a small boat, means weeks without land, crew, or margin for error. While modern adventure is often designed to feel safe and predictable, solo ocean sailing offers none of that—only isolation, consequence, and…

Read More