Driving sales and customer experience with digital technologies

In the retail technology space, innovation leaders predict that physical stores will gradually reduce their reliance on human staff, but at the same time, provide customers with an enhanced shopping experience.

Although this may be a solution to the labour shortage and worker strikes that many businesses have faced since the pandemic, it raises question on how it will impact the typical shopper's experience.

Self-service kiosks and in-store info points are often perceived as unfriendly and unwelcoming and their interface may not always prove to be intuitive for users. Additionally, they are limited in their ability to provide assistance beyond basic transactions.

True to its name, Germany-based software developer Humanizing Technology is changing the game with the introduction of interactive avatars whose aim is to ‘bring humanity into technology and robots into society’. Yet, its CEO Tim Schuster also emphasises on the importance of ‘emotionalising engagement’, underscoring the fact that its interactive avatars offer a unique opportunity for today's tech-savvy customers.

The company's cartoon avatars are designed to be highly agreeable and offer a complete service experience to customers. They can greet and guide customers through the store, make product recommendations, highlight special offers and provide customer support.

Additionally, these avatars are capable of up-selling and cross-selling and can communicate effectively in multiple languages. Their appearances can represent cultural diversity and brand loyalty, enhancing the overall customer experience.

To operate, these devices require only a power source and an internet connection, and consumers can interact with them just like they would with a tablet. By adopting this technology, retailers can avoid expensive hardware and maintenance costs while gaining access to 24/7 support. They can also take advantage of a pay-as-you-go system where each ‘go’ refers to an interaction between the customer and the avatar.

Humanizing Technologies has also partnered with Temi, an Indian robot manufacturer, to provide consumers with an even higher level of personalised attention. The vertical unit, which resembles a vacuum cleaner with a screen on top, can interact with customers and guide them through the store or lead them directly to the product they are looking for.

The Temi robot is friendly, intelligent and efficient, and its primary objective is to ensure that the customer is well taken care of. Soon, these innovative devices may be spotted scurrying around stores in your area as well.

In the fashion space, Burberry has already adopted Verizon's Proto, a holographic human, and is now introducing it in its flagship stores in preparation for the upcoming season's collections.

The 3D hologram technology poses like a real showroom model, appearing in a large box and even casting a shadow to enhance its lifelike appearance. The technology is accompanied by a voice narrative that guides viewers, whether they are store managers, sales teams, or VIP clients, through the outfit.

For instance, Samantha may be shown wearing a miniskirt suit in a classic traditional check pattern with matching slides and a shoulder bag. The 3D image of the leather handbag can also be displayed, which can be opened up to reveal the luxury detailing inside, including the plush lining, hidden pockets and authenticity label.

The customer can even customise the item by selecting different colours and other details from a menu. With this technology, luxury shoppers can examine their investment item in detail and rotate it as they please, rather than having to rely on a simple internet thumbnail picture. This innovative approach to ‘window shopping’ is sure to impress customers and enhance the overall shopping experience.

Digital mannequins and green screens are increasingly being adopted by fashion and retail brands to enhance their marketing and advertising strategies.

Digital mannequins offer a range of benefits that traditional mannequins cannot match including taking on a range of customisable features, including size, shape and skin tone, allowing for more inclusive representation, being placed in various locations including store windows and websites, to showcase products to customers worldwide, without the need for shipping physical mannequins, and can also be used to gather data on customer engagement and behaviour, such as which products are attracting the most attention and for how long, providing retailers with valuable insights into consumer preferences and buying habits.

Bonaveri, a leading Italian mannequin manufacturer, has created a range of customisable digital mannequins under the brand ‘Schläppi 2200’. Brands such as Tommy Hilfiger have utilised these mannequins in their store displays, enabling them to showcase a range of products on a single mannequin.

The use of 3D holograms like Verizon's Proto in the retail industry provides a ‘full body effect’, which is crucial for assessing how the fabric falls, how items fit and communicating important cues from body language such as gesture, posture and attitude.

This is particularly significant in the fashion industry where selling fashion relies heavily on the ability to convey the look and feel of the garment to the customer. With holograms, retailers can create a more immersive and engaging shopping experience that enables customers to visualise how the garment will look and feel on them.

The possibilities of using holographic technology in the retail industry are endless. For example, during London Fashion Week, a client based in New York could be invited to their local store to drink champagne and watch the latest runway looks live as though they were viewing it seated right at the front row, providing an immersive and engaging experience.

According to James Hughes, Verizon's Chief Technology Officer, Burberry sees holographic technology as a way of bringing their VIP customers closer to the brand.

Holograms have also been successfully used in other industries, such as when Tesco's CEO was unable to travel for a conference but was able to beam his hologram into the conference room to deliver his speech.

Even brands like IWC have used holograms to welcome brand ambassadors, influencers and employees to meetings in multiple locations simultaneously, offering a new level of accessibility and engagement. The possibilities of using holographic technology in the retail industry and beyond are truly limitless.

Hypervsn Holograms, a London-based manufacturer of holographic displays, has experienced a surge in activity over the past year, having recently launched two new products. These innovative products come in medium and large sizes and offer unparalleled brightness, pixel pitch and detail.

These can be customised to fit any environment, making them a versatile solution for a range of spaces. When the pixels are further apart, the viewer needs to stand further back to enjoy the content making the unit well-suited for expansive areas like department stores and airports, while the smaller unit, with its closer pixels, is perfect for luxury boutiques.

Hypervsn SmartV Digital Avatar allows two-way interaction with a digitally rendered human avatar bringing the Metaverse to the physical world allowing real-time conversations with users.

Many of the interactive holographic solutions allow customers to easily change the displayed content through voice commands or simple screen swipes. In some cases, a camera can capture key information about the consumer, such as their age, gender and gestures, and then adjust the content to suit the specific details it has collected.

Hypervsn also offers a high-definition product display, in this case, sneakers, which appear to be suspended in midair at eye level. This eye-catching display showcases every intricate design feature with crystal-clear clarity, making it an effective tool for attracting even the most casual of passersby and increasing foot traffic.

Green screens allow for customisable virtual backgrounds, allowing brands to showcase their products in unique and visually appealing environments that would be difficult or expensive to create in a physical setting. They can also be used to create interactive displays that allow customers to virtually try on clothing or accessories, providing a more immersive and engaging shopping experience.

They also provide branding opportunities for brands to incorporate their logos, messaging and other branding elements into display, helping to reinforce their brand identity and increase brand awareness.

Ralph Lauren has used green screens in their stores to create virtual environments, transporting customers to a different world. In one of their stores, a green screen displayed images of the brand's latest collection, while the surroundings were replaced with a digital image of the Himalayas.