Hewlett-Packard delves into customized grocery shopping

Although computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) is mainly known in the consumer business for its desktop and laptop PCs, as well as printers, the company has large software, services, and industrial product offerings as well. One of the most intriguing I've seen that may be in HP's possible future pipeline involves the reinvention of the grocery shopping experience. Say what?

The tech giant may be trialing a grocery shopping solution soon that involves an in-store kiosk system that literally could give customers the best shopping experience in a grocery store as possible, while really targeting coupons and special offers specifically to each shopper. Just like Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) does with its targeted internet-based text grocery shopping, HP's system could get rid of the "coupon clipping" mentality many shoppers face and present each shopper with a personalized list of products with customized "couponing" that would allow for savings on the grocery items that matter most while getting rid of the generic "one size fits all" grocery coupon industry that works now, but probably wastefully and inefficiently compared to a personalized program.

This is hugely significant, since it is yet another way that tech companies can get into the field of complete and personalized shopping experiences that target each consumer directly. As Google has no doubt proven, this methodology converts browsers into buyers and really makes the conversion rate and attach rate of purchases something that every retailer (food or otherwise) should be chasing down at ferocious speed. Soon, the days of generic shopping and non-targeted marketing will be retired and will be replaced by directed and targeted advertising and marketing for each individual consumer. If HP has its way here, the company could be at the forefront of such efforts.