Integrating digital solutions can boost loyalty and grow sales. The Alexander Black showcase features more than 40 practical solutions for retailers to transform customer and employee experience, improving operational efficiency at the same time.
The showcase illustrates five journeys fundamental to the digital transformation of the physical store:
- seamless engagement of digital consumers
- mobilisation of digital store teams
- digitisation of store operations
- securing of the digital transformation
- the use data analytics to drive business insight.
Demonstrations include:
Interactive Shop Window
Shop and get information even when the store is closed. An interactive store window that lets customers engage with the content.
Interactive Shop Window Hoarding
An example of how you can create excitement, engagement and build customer interest in your brand whilst the store is being built. Content can be refreshed, customers can engage, gain information – retailers can capture customer data in advance of the store opening.
Customer Mobile Application
An example of a self-contained app that will enable functionality like Store Check-In; connection to in-store Wi-Fi, retrieve customer information and loyalty programmes/promotions – and much more
Customer ‘Check-in’/Loyalty
That first all important opportunity to engage with the customer as they enter the store. Using NFC or QR Code the customer can check-in to the store. Tailored & personalised messages & promotions can be delivered. Ability to check-in/register using ‘social connectors’ like Facebook/Twitter.
Returning Customer ‘Check-in’/Loyalty
Provides the opportunity to engage with a “returning” customer as they approach and enter the store. Where the solution is fully integrated into back office systems like CRM it provides a 360 degree review of all their interaction with the retailer – across all channels of engagement – and enables the delivery of tailored & personalised messages & promotions to the customer.
In-store music
Music acts powerfully on human emotions and helps to add to the overall customer experience in store. Fully managed plug and play audio player with brand appropriate playlist delivered to store – playlist refreshed frequently; player is monitored and alerts provided if not working/unplugged. Legal compliance is demonstrated as the ‘making available and music duplication rights’ are included – only performing rights licences required in addition. Stores can be clustered to receive different programming; radio commercials can be developed and inserted – and can generate additional revenue stream if ‘air time’ sold to brands within the store.
Scent Diffuser
Create immediate all round brand experience by interacting with all the customer’s sensory drivers. As customers enter a short burst of scent meets them.
‘Lift & Place Kiosk’ – using RFID
As products are lifted from the glass shelf and placed on the shelf below this triggers product information; videos, suggestions and recommendations, product reviews. Can also be set to trigger alarms for the store manager if high priced items remain off the shelf for longer than dictated by set business rules.
Proximity marketing – using beacon
Proximity triggered content/messaging, in this instance providing product content of the items worn by the mannequin. Can provide in-store way finding to items; create personalized product recommendations; alert sales associate to assemble items in fitting room; facilitate self-service purchase in-store or for home delivery and provide promotional incentive to purchase.
‘Intelligent Fitting Room’ – using RFID technology
RFID reader automatically identifies number and which items are taken into the fitting room. Customer is presented with additional product information, recommendations and suggestions. Sends an alert to sales associate device for additional items/different sizes/colours a customer wants to try without leaving the fitting room. Provides detailed analytics to the retailer around: conversion; sales associate best practice; fitting room utilisation etc.
‘Interactive Touch Table’ – using RFID technology
In this instance product used is cosmetics, but any product could be used to drive the interaction/customer engagement. Detailed product information; suggestions/recommendations can be provided for the customer to self-serve or can be used by the sales associate to engage with the customer. Videos can be shown as to how to use the products.
‘Interactive Touch Table’ – Product/Fashion Configurator
Personalise your own products e.g. create your own trainers choose the base colour, graphic design, shoe laces, play with different designs and colours.
Tablet triggered digital display (Fling)
Sales Associate using a tablet assists a customer to find an item – once found, sales associate can push or “fling” the product and detailed information to any larger in-store screen including video wall for better product representation – supports endless aisle for boutique/smaller store footprints. Customer could also ‘personalise’ a product on a tablet device and push personally designed product to larger screen before committing to purchase.
Visualife
Visualife is an augmented reality app, utilising visual discovery to bring the physical world to life in the same frame as the physical item. And by tapping your mobile screen the digital content associated with the physical image can go with you.
Sporting Personality linked Merchandise
When sporting merchandise is tapped/scanned via intelligent/smart label it provides visual imagery and video associated with the sporting personality of that brand
Digital Sales Associate
Beacon pushes product information to the sales associate (not the customer) to enable sales associate to provide customer with detailed information at point of consideration.
‘Intelligent/Smart Labels/Shelf Talkers – using NFC or QR codes
A number throughout the store that when tapped or scanned will provide additional detailed product information; customer reviews, provide an overall look recommendation and incentivise with a promotional offer to purchase all the items. Outfit pairing via a recommendation engine integrated into the shelf talker can suggest outfits, depending on customer mood, preference, weather or previous purchase. Enables interaction with social media for brand advocacy.
‘Memory Mirror’
Allows the customer a 360 degree of themselves in the outfit they have tried on. Mirror has in-built camera which is set on a slight delay. Customer performs a ‘catwalk shimmy’ turns back to face the mirror and can see themselves from all angles in the outfit! Picture can be posted on social media channels or emailed to friends/family to request opinion prior to purchase.
‘Art Wall’ – Window
Demonstrates the ‘wow’ factor that a number of screens positioned together can achieve – and that different content can be managed on each of the screens (all content is centrally managed). Creates a wonderful brand experience.
RFID for Inventory Management
All our merchandise uses 100% recycled paper RFID tags. We have a number of traditional and innovative hand held RFID devices and overhead/in-store readers to quickly demonstrate an accurate inventory live count in store; prevent loss and find misplaced items.
Intelligent care labels
A 2D code on the woven garment care label provides link to full traceability information eg.
origin of the fabrics, the country of manufacture, the factory produced in and associated testing information etc. Consumers are increasingly concerned about ethical sourcing, compliance to legal standards and how and where their products are made – and this isn’t any more just limited to food.
Small screen – cross departmental promotion
Demonstrates usage of smaller digital endpoints. Will run cross department promotional offer for coffee in grocery department
Home Inspirer
Application running a tablet allows customers to view virtual models of furniture within a custom designed room. Customer can adjust the floor finishes, wall colours and furniture finishes to resemble their own space and preferences and place furniture within. Either with the support of a sales associate or self-guided. When happy the resultant image it can be pushed up to larger 55” screen.
Mobile POS
Free up your sales associates from fixed positions in store, quickly offer more ways to pay at busy times – or to quickly enable a pop-up store. Our mobile solution offers the full power, features and functionality that you would enjoy from a fixed POS solution including: ApplePay, mobile payments, digital receipts and shared peripherals like printers and cash drawers.
Wine and Food Matching – using Intel Real Sense Camera
As a customer picks up a bottle of wine, information about the wine, similar wines to try and suggestions of food matching appear on the screen in front of them
Recipe information and cooking video
Intelligent label linked to products on display will include recipe and cooking video
Queue Buster
An interactive solution that enables you to continue shopping until the counter staff are free to serve you when you receive an alert. Greatly enhances customer experience and increases sales as customers who would have previously seen a long wait in a queue and decided to skip purchase, are more likely to see the perceived wait as shorter as they can continue shopping in the meantime.
Chiller Cabinet – temperature monitoring
Real-time temperature monitoring, providing consistent delivery of data to ensure full compliance. Data can be accessed through
Shelf Hawk
Cameras are focussed on key product areas in a store and the imaging technology recognises the product and shelf layout. This could be used to gauge planogram compliance and auto replenishment.
Digimarc Barcode
The Digimarc Barcode encodes existing bar code data invisibly and repeatedly across all package surfaces thereby making the entire package scannable at checkout. This could significantly reduce checkout times for retailers and boosting the average number of items scanned per minute.
Hologram
A little bit of theatre to entertain and reinforce the brand experience. Brings to life physical products/brands in a magical 3D holographic story enabling customers to connect emotionally to the product/brand and create impact in sometimes very crowded stores. A promotional vehicle that retailers can offer to brand owners to support promotional or product launch activity
Interactive Floor
A multi-media visual display system that project wonderful interactive floor special effects – this can be games to entertain children – or advertisements on the floor to draw attraction to promotional messaging or product launches. Users control the dynamic multi-media content with simple gestures and body movement. It is an engaging interactive experience that immerses customers in a brand’s messaging and adds to the overall customer experience.
Digital Menu Boards
Menu boards using digital signage enables dynamic changing of menu and prices based on product availability and product demand/traffic. All content is centrally controlled and for example promotional change in pricing can be implemented nationally store wide immediately – or for a particular region or cluster of stores.
Café Ordering App
The Connected Café ordering solution allows you to order your favourite cup of coffee and include a photo of yourself. When your coffee is ready, your own picture pops up on the screen. Perceived wait time is reduced with an entertaining and engaging experience. Experience it for real in the Café …we will make you the coffee you order!
olk musicians from around the county will congregate in Gloucester in a month’s time for a brand new, FREE event. The very first Gloucester Folk Trail takes place from 23 to 25 February as venues across the city host traditional and contemporary folk acts for a weekend of free live performances.
Jason I J Smith 