Interactive Mirror Makes Shopping More Social
I spent some time last night with the September Vogue, a guilty pleasure if ever there was one. In these days of frugality, it’s almost unseemly to dream of skinny leg suits, fur trimmed coats, fifties inspired curvy clothes and lace trimmed bodices.
In fact, shopping itself seems to have fallen out of favor as a pastime. It’s fallen victim to an array of forces that include the new minimalism, the economy, the allure of sexy new technology investments like the iPad, and intense competition for our limited time.
Retailers understand this. According to a study by IPG Media lab of 10,000 North American shoppers, satisfaction at retail stores is declining up to 15% a year. Retailers know they have to do something to make shopping exciting again and have been busy developing all sorts of new technology enhancements. Here are just a few of the newest developments designed to make shopping more exciting – and to ring up more sales for retailers.
1) Shopping Apps
According to an article in the September Vogue, “Roaming Charges”, “more fashion houses report that shoppers are cell-phone shopping or are just beginning to.” Most of the app’s are controlled by Apple and form a virtual mall, but are mostly for high end brands. Mobile web sites are also making non-Apple handsets and non-smart phones more cell-phone friendly. According to Vogue, a mobile site is a pared-down web site that makes downloading faster and easier.
2) Giant In-Store Touch Screens
The Wall Street Journal writes this week (“Luring Shoppers to Stores“) about in-store media delivered via giant interactive displays. At J.C. Penney, a “FindMore” fixture offers a 52-inch touch screen for consumers to find merchandise, email information to themselves or a friend about an item, or get recommendations. Other screens (it doesn’t say where) turn the front window of store into “a giant touch screen” where consumers “can interact with the screen to select outfits for an avatar.”
3) Interactive Mirror
The Journal reports another very cool technology that transforms a mirror to a device for projecting clothing onto the body before going to the dressing room. Wow, that could definitely same some time. You can even send the image to your Facebook profile. Another interactive mirror technology sends a live video feed to a cell phone or email account. Social shopping taken to new heights.
4) Location-based deals and discounts
I’ve gotten frustrated with most retail loyalty programs like the ones at Macy’s, Best Buy and Staples. You have to remember to bring the rewards to the store and I generally find they either don’t apply or have expired. Now technology is making loyalty programs less of a hassle.
A new app called ‘ShopKick’ (Ad Age, “Trying out ShopKick“) makes racking up points as easy as walking in the door, scanning products or visiting a dressing room. Deals are redeemed at the register by showing the cashier a code. You can earn points from the retailer or in the form of a special currency called ‘KickBucks’ which are not specific to one store and can be redeemed for Facebook credits, products or gift cards or donated to charity (great Gen Y idea there!). The technology apparently requires only a power source, not an internet connection, so it’s expected to roll out quickly. Other mobile app’s like Loopt Star help you find deals up to 20 miles away. It is being used by Gap Burger King, Steve Madden and others.
Are these enhancements what is needed to get Millennials as well as other shoppers back to stores? Maybe. If stores put some pizzazz into the ‘thrill of the hunt’, I might actually venture back to shopping for fun. Meanwhile, I’m off for a bike ride.
