Picture this. You walk into a life style accessories store. You browse around and as you stop in front of a rack displaying footwear and your eyes scan the merchandise, a quietly friendly message pops up on a sleek little screen, goading you into trying out one of those. And voila! The screen relays everything you need to know about the shoes - price, material, offers, why even other accessories that could go with it. All without it being intrusive, pushy or in the face.
Enhancing the human factor
Well, whoever said shopping was therapeutic, could have added that it was more so when aided by the right shop assistant and in this case, the shop assistant just happens to be digital! Indeed, technology today is more than just good-to-have, it is must-have when you take into account all that it can drive in the long run - customer engagement and loyalty, efficiency and most importantly, long term cost savings.
For the naysayers of digital technology who argue that technology cannot replace the human touch, here ‘s a flash news - technology actually enhances the human quotient. First, the right solution can in fact play an empathetic role, gauging shopper tastes and accordingly offer the right information, and secondly, investment in these digital assistants - smart technologies embedded in the store fixtures - can actually free up the store staff to play a more meaningful role with the customers. So on both counts, there is a value-added enhancement in the in-store experience.
Making the spends count
This story is from the October 2020 edition of Visual Merchandising and Retail Design.
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This story is from the October 2020 edition of Visual Merchandising and Retail Design.
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