Trends To Watch
Software Changing The Future of Retail
by Chris Dannen for Co.LABS
Some retailers innovate in-house; elsewhere, startups are bringing modular improvements to the in-store experience. Online sellers are making advances in logistics while growing their marketplaces to include wide varieties of new and used goods sources from a network big and small businesses. Here we’re tracking the latest developments.
The Store Is Winking At Your Phone
by Gabe Stein for Co.LABS
ByteLight’s smart LED lightbulbs flash hundreds of times per second, sending signals too fast for the human eye to see, but easy for a mobile phone camera to decode. Retailers are excited about the technology because they can use it to pinpoint a shopper’s location to within a meter and send offers, suggestions, and other data to customers in real time. We sat down with Dan Ryan, ByteLight’s founder and CEO, to hear his vision of the future of retail.
U: “Read full articles!”
(Source: Co.LABS)
Small World Machine
Coke’s latest happiness project involves a vending machine that makes people “touch” each other across borders.
“This year, two countries will show that what unites us is stronger than what sets us apart,” asserts the latest ad-installation idea from Coca-Cola. The vehicle for this person-to-person diplomatic venture is the company’s new “touch” vending machine, which allows thirsty people from not always neighborly India and Pakistan to see and “touch” each other as they work for a common goal—a refreshing beverage.
The front of the machine is a large screen on which you can see your counterpart hundreds of miles away. A display of color and light is ignited when you both place your hands on the interface. It’s the latest installment of Coke’s “Happiness” campaign, which has featured feel-good vending machines in the past …
(Source: fastcocreate)
Interactive Hangar System
The shopping experience is about to get a lot more interactive. The folks at teamLab have created the TeamlabHanger, an interactive hanger that shows shoppers what clothes look like on a model as soon as the hanger is removed from a rack.
When a piece of clothing is picked up by a curious shopper, a signal is sent to a nearby monitor that displays a front and back preview or video of the selected item. When the hanger is placed back on the rack, the display is automatically switched off.
(Source: TeamLab)
adidas NEO – Digital Window Shopping
adidas NEO is taking window shopping to a new level with an interactive digital window concept that connects to your smartphone. Now it is possible to shop at our store after hours without an app or scanning a QR code.
By typing in the special URL you can connect your smartphone to the window and take control of a virtual shopping bag. Any product dropped into the window’s shopping bag instantly appears on your mobile ready to save, purchase or share with friends.
This window was installed in September 2012 at our adidas NEO Nürnberg store for a six-week pilot test. Want to know more about it?
(Source: youtube.com)
Catch and Keep Digital Shoppers
The Cisco study “Catch and Keep Digital Shoppers” examined technology-based shopping behavior and their impact on the retail industry. The study found a majority of shoppers, categorized as “Digital Mass Mart,” have advanced beyond the capabilities of many retailers. These shoppers expect stores to operate with the same information, transparency and speed as their favorite website, and two-thirds are interested in personalized shopping experiences when visiting a store.
Shoppers overwhelmingly prefer in-store self-service access to digital content (85 %), with one in three using mobile searches to guide their purchasing decisions – up 20 % from last year.
Cross-channel shopping journeys involving mobile devices rose on average by 20 % from last year; mobile search to in-store or online purchase is now actively used by 29 % and 33 % of shoppers, respectively.
Shoppers demand more access to digital content in-store
78 % of shoppers use the Internet to research and purchase products and services.
71 % of shoppers want to access digital content in-store.
50 % of shoppers obtain such content through retailer touchscreens or via personal devices.
Changing how consumers shop
65 % of shoppers research online and purchase in store.
40 % of shoppers begin with in-store research and ends with online purchasing
85 % of shoppers want self-service access to digital content.
4 % of shoppers want to rely on help from store employees all the time.
Intelligence In
In a fiercely competitive retail industry, creating a differentiated shopping experience is critical for building customer loyalty and retention. The digital age has created a multitude of ways to connect with customers.
Metro Group hypermarket real,- Future Store installed digital signage displays with multimedia content and electronic shelf labels in endcap refrigeration shelfes displaying price, product information, visuals, and videos. These small screens can be added to any retail shelf and controlled directly via any WiFi or BT.
U: “I will add the full white paper with the monthly appendix”
Connecting
8 Insights About The Coming Era of Interactice Design
Connecting is a short documentary by Bassett & Partners and Microsoft that explores how our lives (and our gadgets) have and will change in a more connected world. It’s 18 minutes long but very worth the time, as it features interviews with designers from Method, Twitter, Arduino, Frog, Stamen, Microsoft, and Nokia. What’s crazy, even with the magic of editing, is that so many of these talented perspectives tend to finish one another’s sentences.
As you watch, you’ll see a general consensus on a few really important points.
(Source: fastcodesign.com)
Shopper Marketing Trends Report 2013
In November 2012, Shopper Marketing magazine and the Path to Purchase Institute surveyed hundreds of CPG marketing executives to determine just how ready, willing and able the top retail chains are when it comes to partnering with brands and executing both in-store and along the path to purchase.
To complement the data provided in the 2013 Trends charts, analysts who watch the ongoing retailer-brand dance were queried about both retail chains as a whole and specific players in the marketplace.
X: “I will upload the complete number of charts and send you the link seperately …”
(Source: p2pi.org)
A Window Into The Future
Last November, the BMW i Window “Into The Near Future” in NYC digitally transforms passing cars into the all-electric BMW i3 and plug-in hybrid BMW i8 Concept vehicles – and showcases their vision for the future of mobility.
The window also calculates how much money would be saved and how many tons of CO2 emissions we can reduce annually if each transformed car were all-electric.
The Future is Closer Than You Think. See for yourself:
http://www.bmwusa.com/bmwi
(Source: youtube.com)
The Secrets Of Social Retail
Slide Show
Retailers can no longer ignore social, but if they’re going to get involved, they have to do it right.
Tara Hunt, CEO and co-founder of fashion recommendation site Buyosphere, has put together a great presentation that looks at what’s happening in social retail.
At its heart, social retail is about staying “top-of-mind.” When someone thinks about buying a shoes or a coffee table or yogurt, brands in each of those segments should try to be the first that the potential customer immediately considers.
“The retailers that are performing the best are on top of people’s minds,” Hunt tells us. “They’re the ones that are connecting with their customers constantly on social channels.”
It’s not about spouting off marketing and promotions, says Hunt. Retailers must offer good content. They need to contribute to the conversation and the social community if they want to connect.
World’s First Decoded Sushi
The world’s first interactive sushi by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). See how the sushi masters at Moshi Moshi are using technology to spread the word on sustainable seafood.
“Congrats X LDN!”
Audi’s Digital Car Showroom
Audi City near London’s Piccadilly Circus is the first in what is to become a central part of the marque’s global marketing operations.
Full-size cars will be displayed on vast screens, allowing customers to experience a wider variety of cars. This is becoming a problem for carmakers, as modern design, engineering and manufacturing methods have led to a sharp increase in the range of derivatives of each model made.
Audi’s new retail environment is designed to reach more urban customers in areas where few rivals have a presence. This is particularly important for luxury car companies, which are often trying to attract customers who live in the most expensive areas of major cities.
“This new retail format brings us even closer to our customers,” says Audi’s executive sales and marketing director Peter Schwarzenbauer.
(Source: BBC)
IKEA – A New Kind of Catalogue
Now the digital revolution is hitting catalogues big time. Yes, the old cattledog is learning new digital tricks, in both its creation, and its consumption. And one of the best examples of the trend is the granddaddy of catalogues – the 62-year-old big book from IKEA.
As the Wall Street Journal reported this month, the latest IKEA catalogue is “Less Pine, More Pixels”. This year, 12% of the content for the catalogue has been constructed virtually, not physically and next year that figure will double. 3-D digital room renders cost less money to produce and are more flexible to work with. So if IKEA needs to change out a furniture item or a timber colour for a particular country, it’s as easy as flicking a switch. Digital retouching is nothing new – it’s been happening for years – but it’s the first time I’ve heard of entire detailed room settings being convincingly built on a computer screen.
The IKEA catalogue is also embracing digital in its publication and interactivity. IKEA pre-released this year’s edition on tablets and smartphones. And when the catalogue itself lobbed onto lawns across the world with an almighty thump, it featured “inspiring films and interactive features”, accessed by opening an IKEA catalogue app and scanning pages.
(Source: newretailblog.com)
Why Burberry Wants to Bring Online Experience to Store, And Not Vice Versa
Christopher Bailey, Burberry Chief Creative Officer, introduces 121 Regent Street, London, the new Burberry World Live Flagship. The innovative space seamlessly merges the physical and digital, bringing Burberry.com to life. 121 Regent Street is a celebration of British design and craftsmanship.
“Talk to a fashion executive about ecommerce, and he will inevitably cite the challenges of creating an online shopping environment on par with his flagship stores. Online shopping may be convenient, he will say, but customers will be denied the ability to try on a garment for fit, to feel the texture of a python bag, to be surrounded by the products, architecture, music and personnel that make up the store experience.
It’s no surprise, then, that many apparel retailers, particularly those that fall in the luxury category, have invested heavily in bringing elements of the in-store shopping experience to their websites. While shopping on OscardelaRenta.com, you’ll be encouraged to connect to a personal shopper through live chat to address your questions. At Saks.com, you’re invited to zoom in on photographs of products and watch videos of clothing worn by models to get a better sense of fit and movement. J.Crew recently collected its shoes and handbags under one category to replicate the in-store experience of browsing, while Valentino.com has its own store soundtrack.
Given the above, I was somewhat surprised when Christopher Bailey, chief creative officer of Burberry, said in interviews earlier this month that the company was investing not in replicating more of its store experiences online, but bringing the Burberry.com experience to its stores — specifically, the 27,000-square-foot flagship Burberry recently opened on Regent Street in London.”
(Source: Mashable)
Today is Yesterday, tomorrow
Why do we still use a keyboard and mouse to interact with digital information? This mode of human-computer interaction, invented more than 40 years ago, severely constrains our ability to access and interact naturally with digital content.
The MIT Media Lab designs new interfaces that integrate digital content in people’s lives in more fluid and seamless ways.
