Futuristic stores aim to win back customers

Tomorrow's retail stores want to take a page from their online rivals by embracing advanced technology, using such real-world store features as helpful robots and interactive mirrors to lure shoppers back from the internet.

Amazon's new experimental grocery store in Seattle, Washington, will let shoppers buy goods without needing to stop at a checkout line. Sensors track items as customers put them into baskets or return them to the shelf, and the shopper's Amazon account will automatically be charged.

"Amazon, for good or bad, has been setting the path," said Robert Hetu, research director at Gartner Research. "Each retailer is going to have to respond in some way. But it's not one-size-fits-all."