Innovation
One of the clever technologies inside retailers’ apps is from a company called Slyce. It has created image recognition software, which can be built into apps and used to scan images, posters, barcodes and price tags to prompt further information.
“Our retailing clients are putting the technology to really cool uses,” says Slyce president Ted Mann. “People can activate posters by scanning them to get further pricing, availability information or to enter competitions. Just yesterday we were building a prototype which could scan a video playing in-store.”
It’s these kinds of interactions that are enriching the in-store experience for people. According to research by Brightcove, around four in five UK shoppers (77 per cent) agree that visual stimulus, through interactivity, video and photography, enhances their shopping experience and influences them to make a purchase.
“As younger consumers gain more buying power in the coming years, these elements will become increasingly important as tools to engage these digital-natives, who naturally prefer online to on-the-street shopping in physical retail environments,” says Sophie Rayers, director of marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Brightcove. “So whether it’s interactive dressing rooms, holographic personal shoppers or intelligent online baskets that appear in-store, one thing is for sure – high-tech is coming to a high street near you soon.”