Does a change in traditional brick and mortar retail mean we will need to book changing rooms this summer?
The face of retail is changing, and household brands who do not innovate will face difficulty drawing customers to their physical spaces. In this future of retail report, we’re exploring the idea of in-store bookable fitting rooms. We are considering how they can help revolutionise traditional brick and mortar stores by enhancing personalisation, convenience and brand interaction.
COVID19 has sped up the inevitable changes that have been a long time coming for traditional brick and mortar retailers. Customers today can easily purchase products from the comfort of their own home. This has left brands wondering how they can use their store spaces to offer more than just a simple shopping experience.
“As we enter a new decade, retailers can no longer offer their customers “one-size-fits-all” experiences – they need to personalise them to increase loyalty and revenue” – JRNI
Interact with your clothes in a digital showroom
Long-term sustainability champions Reformation, well known across the US, have travelled overseas dipping their toe in British waters to open digitally immersive a flagship on Bond Street.
Taking a show-room style approach, Reformation displays their clothes as samples in only one size. Shoppers can then head to a digital touch screen and select exactly which pieces in which sizes they would like to try on in their very own personalisable changing room. Before heading into their changing room, customers can personalise the space. Customers can adjust the lighting and select their music to create the perfect fitting room environment. Talk about putting power in the hands of the customer!
Getting up close and personal with H&M fitting rooms…
Global powerhouse H&M are already getting behind the trend of digital fitting rooms. Ready in time for summer 2021, H&M have developed a digital fitting room that works with AI technology. This technology works to scan the body of the shopper, and build them an identical avatar. Using a simple app shoppers can then select clothes for their avitar to try on to see how the clothes would suit them.
“When we emerge out of COVID-19, we will see different models in store…customer trips will be more planned, with the intention of maximising the time that they spend.” – Jean-Emmanuel Biondi, principal of retail, wholesale and distribution at Deloitte.
Convenience for all at Men’s Wearhouse
Men’s Wearhouse have recently upped their physical stores by offering omnichannel experiences in physical environments through clever digital technology.
Using a contactless measurement tool Men’s Warehouse is offering its famous personalisation and attention to detail in a digital manner, providing ultimate COVID friendly convenience for their customers.
With 2 images, the 3D tool can size up the customer removing the need to try on masses of clothes to find the perfect size. Whatsmore, the development couldn’t have come at a better time with many stores removing the option to try on clothes in store due to COVID-19.
Ever considered bookable fitting rooms?
Just consider the ease of unlocking your phone, heading to the app of your favourite store, finding new clothes that you love, adding them directly to ‘your changing room’.
Next book the best time and location, and simply turn up at the store to try on the clothes you’ve selected…what’s not to love? No longer will customers have to trail around the shop floor trying to find the top they saw online. Instead, customers can simply add their favourite items to their own personal changing room and try it on as soon as they get there.
“With most interactions in-store becoming digital, and many retailers requiring consumers to book a visitor slot” – Vogue Business
Fitting rooms transformed; we’re already helping retailers
At inurface media, we’re already helping retailers with their digital transformations in fitting rooms.
Our recent interactive boomerang mirrors at Sports Direct’s epic concept store are a perfect example of using personalisation and interactivity to breathe new life into the changing room experience.
Consumers are invited to take a boomerang selfie that can instantly be shared to their device or social channels, helping Sports Direct increase their digital footprint with every customer that uses the changing room, with over 25,000 pieces of content being taken to date.
The future of retail is being enhanced by blending digital solutions and traditional stores together, and the only way retailers are going to survive (as we have sadly learnt) is by embracing new formats throughout their brand space. Personalisation, interactivity and convenience are definitely three of many key themes for stores to tune into in 2021, to help elevate their in-store experience for consumers post-COVID.
We hope you enjoyed reading about our updates on the changing retail world – please get in touch to discuss any projects you’re working on to find out how we can help you!
