Changing environment of retail

We are in an era where digital technology is evolving at high pace. And evolving with it has become essential in order to make or retain a mark in the market. Incorporating digital technology in every area of business is not a want but a need. Insync’s Smart Assistant is a revolutionary retail innovation that uses smart sensors that act as triggers that send signals to the wireless receiver mechanisms which are connected to the LED screens that display an array of in-store communications. This dynamic combo of the trigger and screen can be used to display merchandise comparisons, price checks, stock availability, colour options, style recommendations and so much more. This enhances deeper engagement while elevating the overall shopping experience.

Engaging in-store environment 

Due to growing need for immediate information, interaction with customers have become crucial in every area of business. Immersive and engaging in-store communication always attract shoppers which indeed boosts the sales of the retailer. The engaging balance between self-service technology and face-to-face interaction with in-store associates elevates the in-store environment to connect with the shopper and offer them the information and details they need at the point of purchase.

Better ways to pay:

It’s the era of going cashless, digital payment integrations and easy check outs. Insync Shop Fittings did a digital integration of easy check out for women’s wear brand Valentine. Integrating a 22-inch screen for the shoppers to engage with the brand and quickly check out with a few easy taps. This is another trend that is here to stay and will result in higher sales for retailers.

https://www.insyncshopfittings.com/valentine/

Usage of Augmented reality: 

Recently the technology of Augmented Reality (AR) has taken over the retail industry. Well, AR is a technology that overlaps a computer generated image on a user’s view of the real world, thus providing a combined view.

AR has just made the shopping experience much better and useful for the customers. For instance, you are out to buy some furniture for your new space. It might be difficult for you to get the exact furniture which will be the best suit for the space. That’s when AR comes to the rescue, with this technology, you see how the furniture will look in real time which is so cool, right? Retailers like IKEA and Wayfair have realised AR as an asset and are adapting this trend in their showrooms and apps. 2020 will be much advanced with AR.

https://digiday.com/marketing/ikea-using-augmented-reality/

Product customization:

One-of-a-kind products are a classic symbol of luxury: having something that nobody else in the world has Ecommerce and brick-and-mortar stores alike are offering more options than ever to customize your purchase, from monograms and embroidery to fully unique color schemes.Customization lets shoppers purchase a product tailored specifically to their needs and style.

For example, Levi’s offers personalized embroidery on jeans and denim jackets, while NIKE lets shoppers completely customize their sneakers for a truly unique pair.

https://www.levi.com/US/en_US/blog/article/levis-lot-1-jeans-made-to-order/

Sell experiences, not just products:

Most people cherish experiences over material possessions. And while we can attach material items like our new iPhone or car to our identity, these objects eventually lose their allure, and we throw them away to replace them with the newest, trend-setting product. Material possessions can really never be a part of your true identity.

On the other hand, we’re the sum of our experiences, so they’re ingrained in our identity. Sharing experiences with people also has a special ability to forge close relationships. Shopping experiences that cater to all the senses is a that will bring a breath of fresh air to the retail space.

https://www.macworld.com/article/3305585/the-iphone-xr-is-the-affordable-premium-iphone-weve-always-wanted.html

SND in Chongqing, China by Various Associates

 A temple of luxury. It’s a concept a designer may have in the back of their mind when conceiving a retail space. Various Associates took the idea a step further at an outpost of SND, a clothing and jewelry boutique inside the upscale Shin Kong Place shopping center in Chongqing, China. Confronted with a long and narrow 3,100-square-foot plan surrounded by a glass facade on three sides, co-founder Yang Dongzi utilized mirrors to create a funhouse effect as customers meander through narrow corridors. Jewelry is displayed in the long straight showcase right in the middle, which is easy for customers to choose carefully. Luxury brands of haute couture are displayed on both sides, and are illuminated with professional soft lightening so as to show the texture of the clothes.  The results earned the designers a 2019 Best of Year Award for Fashion Retail.

Source: https://www.urdesignmag.com/lifestyle/2019/04/01/snd-buyers-shop-various-associates/

Neiman Marcus in New York City’s Hudson Yards by Janson Goldstein

Whatever one thinks of the massive, city-changing undertaking at Hudson Yards, anchoring the neighborhood with Manhattan’s first Neiman Marcus is an undeniably bold choice. As is the store’s design, conceived by Janson Goldstein and intended to bridge the area’s industrial past with its high-end present. The 188,880-square-foot, three-story flagship offers two entrances: a 30-foot-tall lobby with an elevator directly to the upper floors and a main entrance on the fifth floor with striking views of Thomas Heatherwick’s “Vessel.” The Fine Apparel spaces are defined by arrangements of glass and steel mesh screens within sculpted aluminum panels. The project was a 2019 Best of Year Award honoree for the Department Store. 

Source: https://www.interiordesign.net/projects/17031-janson-goldstein-goes-grand-for-nyc-s-first-neiman-marcus-in-hudson-yards/

 Lawrence & Mayo in Pune, India by Insync Shop Fittings

L&M was designed by Design Dollops and INSYNC worked closely with Design Dollops to ensure that the feedback process was a seamless part of the shopping journey. Insync’s Engage Fit N Light Smart Shop Fitting powered up 22″ touch interfaces and were moved around the store based on where it is most effective, since there was no external power connections required. These touch interfaces were loaded with feedback forms designed as games so that they are fun and in turn reduce the resistance from the shoppers. 

So today L&M is able to collect vital customer data that is not only assisting them to sell better today but is also building a data rich customer centric future. Besides this the store has only 4 suspended lights on the ceiling that help light up the central area. All the sales areas are lit with the integrated lights embedded into the shelves, ensuring  the customers get a more comfortable and natural light setting increasing the time they spend at the racks. 

The L&M team claims that this store is performing significantly better on sales in the store that they shut down in the same location. 

Source: https://www.insyncshopfittings.com/lawrence-mayo/

Joseph Cheaney London in Thomas Heatherwick

Lewis Cubitt’s famed King’s Cross Station in London debuted in 1852, and just a few decades before, further north, Joseph Cheaney opened its first shoe factory in Northamptonshire. By the time Thomas Heatherwick founded a studio at the dawn of the 21st century, the King’s Cross neighbourhood was ripe for renovation—which he duly undertook, joining two 19th-century buildings into the Coal Drops Yardshopping center. Heatherwick found inspiration for the interiors in the vaulted spaces, framed in powder-coated steel. And now that the center has opened, he’s added a snug boutique for Joseph Cheaney’s beloved handmade shoes. 

Source: https://www.interiordesign.net/articles/15844-thomas-heatherwick-s-king-s-cross-shoe-boutique-for-joseph-cheaney-is-a-perfect-fit/

Timberland in London by Dalziel & Pow

Timberland is designed for a purpose-led flagship that highlights the brand’s sustainability credentials and serves as the model for new stores globally moving forward. Drawers containing material samples enable customers to take a closer look at customising options, while rolling content on digital screens within the area provides inspiration. Filled with living greenery and stories of the brand’s eco-friendly initiatives, the concept fuses nature with fashion and provides Timberland with a fresher, more contemporary space compared to its previous stores. 

Source: https://www.dalziel-pow.com/work/timberland

Wow – hearing this in knowledge sessions and reading about the technology is no where close to actually experiencing the store.
So much brilliance packed into this small place.
Firstly simply taking away the complete pain of payment from the shopping journey is a simple stroke of genius, it will take a lions heart not to buy more what you came in for!!
Secondly no checkout hassles of any type was such a refresher and think about the implications in highly populated urban areas of countries like India, China etc. where lines can almost get serpentine at the time of sales and seasons.
Last but not the least, the few staff they did have on hand just added to the joy of buying with their large hearted smiles and ready to serve attitude.

I’ve traveled and been through numerous shopping experiences and this is the best till date.

Millennial customers are aware when stores are more interested in closing the sale, than making the buying journey purposeful.
Merely beautiful retail ambiances, powered by price-offs and loyalty programs don’t fly any longer.

The always-on; millennial customers seeks a seamless transition from their mobile screens to an environment that envelops them into the product journey, offers convenience, product information, sensory story narratives and easy check outs, at a finger’s touch. 

Insync’s Fit N Light Solution equips the sales associate with deeper product knowledge, while enabling millennial customers dive into a deeper product engagement and complete at the rack what they are so adapt at doing on their devices; ‘Complete the transaction in a few clicks’. 

For more on the Fit N Light solution, drop in at:InStore Asia 2019, March 14-16, Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre, Goregaon (E).

W: www.insyncshopfittings.com, E: hello@insyncshopfittings.com, T: (+91) 96198 85013, 022 2761 9643

Customers visit physical stores to enhance their product experience.  It’s important to ensure the highest possible visibility for every SKU. Surprisingly, research shows that over 30% of merchandise displayed on traditional racks and lit by overhead lighting are in low or obscure lighting.
While Insync’s Fit N Light technology provides light where it matters most; on the merchandise providing almost twice the illumination per SKU as compared to overhead lighting.

Customer engagement is deepened by a softly lit store ambiance, where lights are focused only on the merchandise, interspersed with back lit signage. Touch screens with shopper assistive technology add to the experience through brand-related content.

Electrified shop fitting tracks that power Ecom-enabled touch screens and scanners, enhance the feeling of exploration enabling the convenience of self-check-out in a flash.
The Fit N Light solution enables retailers tell immersive product stories at the rack itself, where shopper spend 70% of the in-store time.