Customer engagement, enhanced loyalty programs, omnichannel. These are all methods being leveraged in an effort to breathe new life into brick-and-mortar retail.

As customers continue to ditch the mall in favor of online shopping, savvy retailers are banking on the Internet of Things (IoT) and augmented reality (AI) technology to bring in new customers and convince online shoppers to step away from the screen and come back to the store.

One of the latest and most exciting entries in the battle is digital mirrors, which serve a purpose on both sides of the counter.

For the customer:

1. They allow customers to try on several outfits and compare – the shopper does a 360˚ turn in each outfit as the mirror records. They then can compare their selections side-by-side and from all angles.
2. They provide an interactive experience in the fitting room – dress the wrong size? No problem! Simply interact with the mirror and it will alert your sales associate, who will bring your preferred selection, size or color.
3. Knows what items have been brought into the fitting room – this allows the mirror to make suggestions based on the customer’s selections, which can then be selected directly from the mirror and brought to them by an associate.
4. The results are shareable – still having trouble deciding? Share your video with friends or family via email, SMS or social media for instant feedback.
5. Simplifies checkout – When the shopper is ready, they simply choose checkout. Some stores may allow them to check themswlves out via an app, or it could alert the sales associate, who can then assist them personally.

For the retailer:

1. According to data collected by Ralph Lauren, 9 out of 10 of in-store shoppers are engaging the mirror.
2. Provides a platform from which to upsell based on AI recommendations.
3. Provides deep data on customer shopping and buying behavior, such as knowing how much time people are spending in the fitting room, and so on.
4. Provides an opportunity for sales personnel to have a more meaningful connection with the customer.
5. A customer’s in-store purchases could be compiled with online purchases to give both store and shopper a single view of their buying history.

Additionally, digital mirrors could reduce the number of returns and help to connect supply with demand.

Digital mirrors have already been integrated into the store experience by Neiman Marcus, Rebecca Minkoff, and Ralph Lauren, where they have been in use since 2015.

Mirrors are placed in a semi-private area of the dressing room where shoppers can try on outfits, have a twirl, and share or save the videos. The videos provide them with a view of the outfit from all angles, and also allow them to change up the color of the item to help them narrow down their choices.

Makeup retailers like Sephora, and Charlotte Tilbury are already jumping on the trend, offering an in-store try-on mirror app to assist with makeup choices. Similarly, Samsung’s OLED mirrors have become quite popular in South Korean hair salons.

An exciting revolution in retail technology, digital mirrors are most definitely cause for reflection. If you would like to learn more about IoT and RFID platform solutions for your retail business, drop us a line today.

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