Reengineering the Shopping Experience
In the Dec. 4th issue of Brand Week, one of the articles details some of the interactive products aimed to redisgn the shopping experience.
RFID cards placed in garment tags will allow shoppers to connect to a social network where you can get comments from others on how it looks, via in-store monitors. The card will also have the ability to make additional product suggestions. Another example is the "Smart Buddy," already in use at some Stop & Shops, which can track purchases, make suggestions and even advanced orders all from the shopping cart.
Many of the very innovative technologies are still far from implementation, but you have to wonder how far this will and can go. Are consumers ready for this radical change? The answer to that is still relatively unclear, but you can already see the approaching transformation in how the in-store experience is leveraged, creating entirely new connections with the consumer.
- Meredith Fay
posted by Brand007 @ 5:30 PM
3 Comments:
I also saw this article and found it very interesting. Some of the technology I think will be helpful, such as the "Smart Buddy" in Stop & Shops. Others, like the tag to allow you to connect with a social network, I think might not be as successful. Generally, trying on clothes is an uncomfortable process for many women, especially in relation to swimsuits and jeans. I wonder how many women would want to solicit the advice of strangers on the clothes they are trying on.
-Danielle DeBenedetto
It is amazing to see technological advances such as the "Smart Buddy" and now the social network in clothing stores. Although I agree with Danielle that shopping is an uncomfortable process, I think the social network would be a good idea for those women who aren't "in touch" with the fashion trends of today. For example, lets say a woman found a shirt that they like, but didn't know what kind of outfit to put it with...with the social network, they would be able to see how and what to wear the shirt with.
I personally would find this very annoying. I wouldn't want random people being able to see what I look like when I try something on. This electronic tag might actually discourage people to try on clothes if they are worried what other people think. If I wanted an opinion on how some shirt looked on me, I would ask a friend or parent. Most people, including myself, sometimes enjoy the experience of shopping on their own. This tag would become an annoyance and would destroy this personal shopping experience. Plus, how would this tag account for different people's tastes? Overall, I think it is a bad idea and any company that uses this technology to replace personal service would be making a bad move.
-Sri Reddy
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