Fast forward the last couple of decades to today, there have been many innovations that have transformed our shopping experience.
Thanks to the wonderful powers of technology, the way we interact not only online but in-store has been forever changed. We have found a few examples where this couldn’t be any truer. In each instance, we see how retailers are trying to leverage various “personal experience” touchpoints of the past whilst ensuring that everything remains within the futuristic spectrum.
Oh, to be agile in a supermarket! 7Fresh have opened a technologically advanced supermarket. Shoppers can shop hands-free with very smart shopping cards that follow customers around the store.
Taking it one step further, the stores have “magic mirrors” which display information about the product when it has been picked up such as the origin of the product and when it was harvested. Back in the day a shopkeeper would be having that conversation with you in person, but this brings a futuristic approach to how people can find out in detail about the products that they have purchased.
Specsavers went virtual with the launch of their “Frame Styler Tool”. As a person who wears glasses, trying on many different frames to find the perfect pair isn’t really my idea of fun, hygienic or a quick experience. Taking all of that away by moving this experience online, Specsavers launched a wonderful tool on the website which literally gives you access to virtually try on hundreds of pairs at the click of a button.
Find the pair you like, click the “Virtual Try-on” button, scan your face and within a few seconds, you’re wearing the frames and have a pretty good idea whether or not they suit. What’s really cool is that you could share this with friends and family to get their opinion which kind of mimics them going shopping with you.
Is anyone actually really a fan of trying on clothes in-store? The bright light shining down with the 180-degree mirrors covering all angles only to try on something that completely makes you feel a black bag would do better justice. Bring on 2019,
hello ZOZO…
“Say goodbye to standard sizes and hello to custom-fit clothes…..ZOZOSUIT lets you capture a 3D measurement of your unique body from the home. Once you’ve measured, you can order affordable ZOZO clothing that is made according to your unique measurements and delivered directly to
your door.”
“It’s like having your very own specialist tailor making you custom made clothing verse the mass-produced fast fashion of today”
Talk about stepping into the future with Nike. Last year, New York saw the first of its kind “The Nike House of Innovation 000”. Here, customers reserve shoes online to try on in-store. On arrival, they make their way to their own locker with their name on it through a dedicated entrance and all they have to do is unlock their locker using their smartphone. Furthermore, the app has a mobile check-out meaning the Nike lover doesn’t have to stand in a queue let alone talk to anyone.
This sounds like the ultimate convenient shopping experience paired with a timesaving element. It’s like having a concierge to personalize your shopping experience while making it faster.
Appealing to the senses with Ted Baker. In 2017, it’s Regent Street store made its exterior interactive. “Shoppers were encouraged to place their hands in the window, triggering a camera to photograph their face (as well as prompting sound effects); the image would then be placed into scenes from ‘Keeping up with the Bakers’ and shared across social media. Participants were also entered into a prize draw to win a £1,000 shopping spree in-store.” What a fun way to engage with shoppers on another level.
“Technology can be used in various ways: for experiential purposes, to appeal to mobile users, increase convenience for shoppers, or to promote a retailer’s online presence”
Nikki Gilliland
The pressure is on to keep up with the technological times whilst still maintaining a personal connection to the shopper. It is clear that even though tech is flying ahead there are still instances from the past that are essential to the shopping experience.
