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T EN YEARS from now, innovaI tions in computers and electronics will make home center shopping quicker and easier for both consumer and retailer, while lessening operating costs and room for error. Or at least that's the forecast. Some features in our imaginary home center of 2001 are already here, being tested or in use now in retail stores. Other projections are logical extensions from current technology.

Story at a Glance

Whata homecentermight be like in 10 years. video merchandisers, electronic surveillanoe doors, self-checkout, spaoe age home planning center.

Tomorrow's home center is much more of a showroom. Product-in-use displays and mock room settings abound. Stocked shelves electronically display prices and even run product features and benefits, ala Silent Radio devices.

Computer kiosks at the end of each aisle answer customer questions about product capabilities, availability and location in the store. Video monitors are everywhere. Built into shopping carts to continuously run advertisements and promotions, they are suspended over departments, displays and above checkout areas to occupy those waiting.

A home planning center along the back wall allows consumers to make easily interchangeable 3-D designs of any area of their home, yard or business utilizing every SKU in the store. Materials for entire projects are instantly picked and billed to consumers' accounts at the push of a computer button.

Consumers scan their own purchases at self-checkout stands, with items billed to their charge card. To ensure scans aren't accidentally or purposely missed, product codes on packages are "sensor reactive." Unscanned packages cannot be removed from the building without triggering door jamb-implanted alarms. Alarms are in all doorways to also deter shoplifting and employee theft.

Customers can also order from the computer kiosks throughout the store. Orders are automatically picked, packaged and conveyed to a pick up station.

The computer shopping system is linked to contractors' computer systems and regular d-i-y shoppers' home pc's. Deliveries and pick ups are a snap. Getting on line with the home center's network provides a customer's computer with a built-in catalog of all SKUs.

Catalogs and promotional flyers are mailed as compact laser discs.

Some of these innovations may never prove practical for home centers or forever remain science fiction. Others may indeed be included in the floorplan of the future.