Thinking of buying a new pair of sports shoes? Head down to Nike’s flagship store in New York, choose your favourite pair, test it out on a treadmill and get professional feedback from their staff on the most suitable pair based on real-time data captured via cameras. This is the game changer of the traditional retail industry today: experiential retail.
In the digital age we live in today, purchases made via e-commerce platforms are simply one click away. With numerous platforms to choose from, digital spaces have brought convenience to many customers who can simply shop from the comfort of their homes. The rise of these e-commerce platforms have led many retailers to reconsider the role that physical stores play in the customer journey. While e-commerce platforms offer customers convenience and flexibility, physical stores still remain an important touchpoint in the customer journey. With an omni-channel strategy being a crucial aspect of the future of retail, both digital and physical platforms are key touchpoints that complement each other in the customer experience.
In light of the technological disruptions faced by the retail industry, brands are transforming their in-store operations with experiential retail. By actively engaging customers with the stimulation of their senses, users get to experience products in a refreshing manner. With a focus on the personal touch which experiential retail offers, customers get to enjoy a unique encounter with brands that cannot be replicated online. As a point of interaction between brands and consumers, in-store experiences remain an important way to build customer relationships.
Working with brands to elevate their customer experience in physical stores, Trinax has created experiential retail services to meet the needs of their customers.
Hennessey Taiwan Interactive Table and Wall
(Hennessy Taiwan Interactive Table and Wall, developed by Trinax)
Taking a hands-on approach to encourage customers to explore Hennessey’s new range of products, Trinax developed an interactive table and an Augmented Reality wall in their pop-up store. Consisting of multiple tactile activities that came in bite-sized touch points, the interactive table helped customers to learn more about Hennessey’s new products in an engaging way. As users immersed themselves in this exciting experience by pushing buttons and activating installations, their jubilant actions were captured by a motion sensing camera and visualised on the AR wall.
Macallan Travel Experiential Retail
(Macallan Experiential Retail, developed by Trinax)
Partnering with popular whiskey brand Macallan, Trinax built “The Masters of Convenience”, an interactive transparent display to raise awareness of their wide range of quality whiskies. Upon sliding the transparent display in front of specific bottles of whiskey, users could easily view bottle-specific information in spider-grams and videos on the screen. By getting customers to participate in this interactive retail experience, users learnt more about the various types of whisky Macallan offered in a personalised manner.
Challenges of the Covid-19 Pandemic
With the Covid-19 pandemic, retailers have once again found themselves adapting to many unforeseen challenges in this new normal. With restricted activities and cancelled events, many retailers are significantly impacted by a lower footfall at shopping malls. Furthermore, the rising concerns over hygiene in physical spaces have led many brands to rethink how they can adjust their in-store experiences.
Creating Contactless Retail Experiences
To create a safe and hygiene-friendly environment for customers, brands have turned to contactless technologies to ensure minimal physical contact. With contactless retail, Trinax has collaborated with the following partners to offer a transformed customer experience.
Estee Lauder Interactive Dramming Unit
(Estee Lauder Interactive Dramming Unit, developed by Trinax)
In a collaboration with Estee Lauder, Trinax designed an Interactive Dramming Unit to provide customers with a contactless retail experience. The in-built AI system detects a customer’s facial condition and provides smart recommendations on what exact foundation cream to try on. With the use of motion sensors, this foundation liquid is seamlessly dispensed once customers place a given bottle onto the dispenser’s platform. Without the need for any physical contact, customers could still test and try out the various shades of Estee Lauder’s foundation in a safe manner.
Interactive Fragrance Card Dispenser
(Source: Paperscent)
What about a fragrance card dispenser that is activated by motion sensors? Trinax has invented an Interactive Fragrance Card Dispenser where fragrance cards could be easily dispensed for customers with hygiene in mind. With a quick hand wave over a sensor, motors within the dispenser would be activated to spray the perfume on the card to be dispensed. Once the card is sprayed with the fragrance, an LED indicator will flash for a few seconds to let users know that the fragrance card is ready for collection. With a simple and straightforward system, customers could explore an exciting range of new fragrances with a peace of mind.
The New Face of Retail
While the Covid-19 pandemic has brought about many changes to the retail industry, businesses can choose to embrace these new trends by transforming their customer experiences. Similar to how retailers have adapted to the rise of e-commerce, brands are definitely ready to adapt to the new norm we live in today with contactless retail.
At Trinax, we seek to meet the needs of your business and customers with an interactive and immersive digital experience built on an omni-channel framework. Stay tuned for our upcoming article on the Future of Retailtainment!
