Owner:-Syama Meagher

7 Ways in which Technology is Continuing to Change the Retail

Experience

Mannequin beacons

Beacon Geofencing

Virtual rails

Interactive hangers

Contactless payment

Interactive product displays

Smart mirrors

Mannequin beacons To assist in providing product information to their

customers, UK retailer, House of Fraser, have begun utilising beacon technology within the mannequins in their stores.

The idea behind this is when customers with a smartphone and the relevant app, walk within 50 metres of the mannequin, they will be provided with details about the clothes and accessories that the mannequin is wearing thanks to an embedded electronic transmitter.

These details will include exactly what the products are, how much they cost, where they can be found in the store and a link to buy them online for customers limited for time.

As the technology is still in its infancy, pricing details for these bespoke beacons can only be obtained by contacting the start-up directly at this stage.

Beacon Geofencing

As they are relatively cheap and easy to install, beacons are also being used for geofencing within stores. Rather than being used to target customers already in the store like in the previous point, beacon geofencing relates to targeting potential customers who are simply nearby.

Utilizing the beacons to communicate information to peoples’ mobile devices when they enter a pre-determined area, retailers can use this technology to send special promotions or coupons to those passing by in order to entice them in-store.

As the technology develops, beacons are available in a number of different configurations including those that are suitable for all-weathers, those that can be customized with your brand and colors and those that can be implemented into displays. Prices of beacons start from just £30.

Virtual rails Allowing customers to explore a wider product range than can be displayed

in-store, Marks and Spencer have recently opened a store in the Kalverstraat district of Amsterdam which features “virtual rail” technology.

Using this touch screen the customer can look at each item in detail, including looking at it from several angles and even see it being modeled on the catwalk.

Although a technology currently only being used in Marks and Spencer stores, touch screen monitors are available to purchase from around £1,500.

Interactive hangers

Utilizing the same interactive theme to show clothing being modeled, certain stores in Japan are trialing the use of “interactive hangers”. Equipped with RFID technology, these hangers communicate with a store’s network using radio waves.

When a customer takes one of these hangers off of a rail, a screen displaying a video is triggered which shows that particular item of clothing being modeled.

Contactless payment

Offering the ultimate in convenience for customers paying for goods, the usage of contactless payment is ever increasing.

With technology giants such as Apple now getting on board with their Apple Pay solution, contactless payment looks set to transform the way in which we shop in the traditional store format.

Encouraging customers to purchase using their Smartphone will also open up opportunities to utilize further technology in offering loyalty programmers, personalized coupons and location-based marketing.

In addition to Apple Pay, contactless payment technology is also available from the likes of Barclaycard, World pay, EE and PayPal.

Interactive product displaysOn the same theme of encouraging customers to make a purchase, retailers such as Kate Spade are utilizing interactive product displays to show customers just how their products can be used.

These systems use sensors that are activated when an item is lifted from a display table. Once an item is picked up a display built into the table then shows Instagram feeds, ad campaigns and styling tips for the chosen product.

Smart mirrors While the other technologies mentioned show how items of

clothing look on other people, smart mirrors cater for people wishing to see exactly how each outfit will look on them.

These advanced mirrors will record and display 10-second clips of a customer wearing different outfits so they can then refer back and compare each outfit from multiple angles before they then make a purchase.

If a customer has a little more time, they can also use the mirror technology to share the clips of the outfits on social media so they can get help from their followers on which to choose.

Contact

Us....Mail us:-

syama@scalingRetail.com

Phone no.:-415-756-4591

URL:-www.scalingretail.com