Want that outfit? Just tap the mirror
‘Pop-up shop’ will let Mastercard show off options at checkout
Try on an outfit, mix and match accessories, then pay for your ensemble without ever leaving the fitting room.
Or buy that must-have suit you spot in the window even though the store is closed.
Mastercard, in collaboration with Marie Claire magazine, is planning to make it possible.
The payment technology company is unveiling a temporary shop in Manhattan next week designed to meld the speed and convenience of online shopping with the experience of browsing in an actual store.
The so-called pop-up shop, which will be dubbed The Next Big Thing, is intended to let Mastercard show what is possible at checkout, offering a glimpse into how traditional stores can stand out in a retail climate upended by Amazon and other online retailers. It will be open from Sept. 23 through Oct. 12.
“This is the first time we’re showcasing these combined technologies,” says Stephane Wyper, a Mastercard senior vice president. “The physical store still matters, and by using technologies like this ... we can really help retailers start reinventing and re-energizing the physical store environment.”
Visitors to the pop-up shop will download an app that allows them to input their payment information as well as book appointments with Neiman Marcus stylists who are available on site. Each piece of clothing has an electronic tag embedded in the label so that when customers enter the fitting room, the mirror will recognize what they’re trying on and then display it.
Not only will the so-called “smart” mirror allow customers to adjust sizes or view different colors, it will suggest a pair of shoes, a belt or other accessory that it will display as well.
Finally, when shoppers are ready to buy, instead of trudging to a checkout counter, they simply touch the item’s image on the mirror and tap “check out.” The shirt, jacket or another item automatically shifts to a cart on the customer’s mobile device. There, they can complete the purchase and note whether they want to tote it from the store or have it delivered.
Customers also won’t have to wait until the store opens to make a purchase. If they see an item in the window that they want, they can tap the glass to select it. The image of a cart will appear. They’ll then enter their phone number right on the window, and they’ll receive a text on their smartphones that provides a link to a mobile site where they can make their payment.
Wyper says such new ways to pay can be useful in various forms of retail, from consumer electronics to grocery stores, and could become common soon.
Retailers have already shown that they’re eager to try new payment concepts to engage customers, whether it’s motorists prepaying for gas or “smart” refrigerators that allow customers to automatically order groceries, says Linda Kirkpatrick, a Mastercard executive vice president.
“Retailers have a really strong appetite to try new things,” she says. “It’s something we’re seeing in the here and now. It’s not The Jetsons.”
“Retailers have a really strong appetite to try new things. It’s something we’re seeing in the here and now. It’s not ‘The Jetsons.’ ”
Linda Kirkpatrick, a Mastercard executive vice president