WHO’S THE SAVVIEST OF THEM ALL?
▶ In the age of interactive mirrors and digital walls, Sarah Maisey examines how brands are using technology to change the way we shop
Technology has made huge strides in the fashion industry; we now live in an age of virtual runway shows and computer-generated models. So it was inevitable that hi-tech gizmos and hacks would trickle down to the level of the average consumer, forever altering the way we shop.
Leading the charge in the UAE is adidas. When the German sportswear company announced the opening of the region’s first hi-tech shop, expectations were justifiably high. However, when the 16,000-square-foot space opened in The Dubai Mall in March, the results were astonishing. Bristling with technology and putting the customer front and centre in every aspect, it not only looks dazzling, but also offers a totally new shopping experience.
Bolstering the company’s commitment to sustainability, the outlet is fitted out using enough recycled materials to warrant a gold rating from the internationally accredited Leed green building certification. Also, as the brand’s most digitally connected store, it has state-of-the-art technology including a digital ceiling and footwear wall.
Visitors can scan products using a dedicated adidas app to glean information in real time, as well as request a size and colour that is then delivered to them in-store, thanks to the Bring it to Me feature. The changing rooms are equipped with interactive mirrors that use radio-frequency identification to recognise products, offer information and allow customers to request different sizes and colours with only a few swipes. For those keen to see how a product will look out in the real world, augmented reality even offers different backdrops to pose against.
Dotted around the shop are more than 60 additional touchscreens for browsing products, while analogue features include a trainers care hub called Crep Protect, and the MakerLab, which enables customisation, including adding patches, printing, embroidery and laser engraving.
Adidas is not the only brand that is applying technology to reshape the way we shop. Online retailer Amazon announced last month that it is testing a new hairdresser’s concept in London. Called Amazon Salon, it will be spread over two floors in a building in Spitalfields, and will be equipped with AR mirrors that allow customers to try out different cuts, styles and colours before the stylist reaches for a pair of scissors.
Described by Amazon as an “experiential venue” that will also show off other innovations by the company, it will be a fully functional salon, with a range of hairdressing services, including highlights, treatments and braids. Once chosen, the actual procedure will be carried out by professionals who work for the London salon Neville Hair and Beauty.
Amazon also recently opened a contactless grocery store in the UK, accessible to account-holders. With a code needed to gain entry, all the goods inside are tracked not by staff, but rather by sensors and cameras that detect when a product is moved. With no check out to pass through, the goods are automatically charged to a user’s Amazon account as soon as they leave the premises.
In addition to the Amazon Salon, beauty mavens have another service to keep an eye on. Nimble, an idea that is still in the Kickstarter funding stage, is a device conceptualised in the US that integrates artificial intelligence into the previously low-tech world of manicures. Rendered in the form of a small tabletop white box, it promises to give the perfect manicure in only 10 minutes.
A user need simply place his or her hand inside the box and the machine – powered by AI – will use complex algorithms based on behavioural mechanics to scan the fingertips and work out the precise size of each.
The manicure machine will then apply three coats of polish – a base, colour and top – using the optimal quantity for an exact fit for the shape, length and size of a person’s nails. The inbuilt dryer will ensure the nail polish does not chip, despite the quick turnaround time.
Global enterprises and small start-ups are adopting technology to upgrade the customer experience worldwide
In what it calls the Clean Polish Promise, Nimble will only use vegan and non-toxic formulations that are sold in glass vials. Each set contains enough varnish for three full applications and, to encourage recycling, customers get a price reduction for every set of empty bottles that are returned.
It’s not only tech companies and enterprising start-ups that are upgrading the customer experience, either. An early adopter of technology in retail, British heritage brand Burberry has long been at the forefront of innovation. In 2009, it launched its Art of the Trench campaign, inviting customers to upload images of themselves on the dedicated website wearing the classic Burberry trench coat, creating a direct dialogue with clients that other brands have rushed to follow. For its spring/ summer 2021 presentation, it partnered with Twitch, becoming the first fashion house to stream its show on the platform.
So it was no real surprise that, for its Shenzen store in China, Burberry teamed up with tech company Tencent to create the world’s first social media outlet. Divided into 10 interactive zones, the shop encourages customers to explore at will, offering unique features that can only be unlocked through the social platform WeChat.
Customers can scan QR codes to learn the story behind each product that, in turn, can be shared online. As an incentive to physically visit the store, customers are rewarded with a form of virtual currency, as well as given a virtual unhatched egg “animal” that grows and evolves with each in-store interaction.
On the high street, Swedish brand & Other Stories installed a vending machine in the La Coupole building at Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann last summer. Complete with an interactive touchscreen, it is stocked with miniature versions of the brand’s bestselling bath and body care range, including Perle de Coco, Punk Bouquet, Sicilian Sunrise and Arabesque Wood.
Shoppers can snap up a hand soap for Dh30, mini hand cream for Dh22, roll-on perfume for Dh66 and eau de toilette for Dh130. The machine also works as an interactive hub for the full beauty range, giving information about every product. Being trialled as a one-off, there are plans to introduce more vending machines across other sites, if it proves a success with customers.