MARCO LANOWY

MANAGING DIRECTOR, ALBERTO

The personnel at the POS is key to engagement retail – this is our experience. You can hire balloons and clowns and it will engage people for a short moment, but when it comes to customer experience, the staff is the talking product of every store/company. They are also responsible for turning customers into returning customers. Of course, the store also has to be designed to attract people (and not only end consumers): Apple and sneaker stores find it easy to find people who want to work for them, contrary to many traditional outlets. In our Alberto store, we use Amazon’s Alexa as an instrument that operates as an extra player to support staff. Our latest innovation is that Alexa will use the voice element to engage with consumers. At a height of 18 cm, a sensor will be installed that spots movements and suggests different pant models: a targeted radio that is helpful without being annoying. In the next steps, we want this sensor to work out the color of the pant the customer is wearing and based on that suggest colors, models and different pant types. We think in-store surprise moments and impulse marketing are fundamental.