Imagine a fitting room with a “smart” mirror. It can suggest jeans to go with the red shirt you brought in. It snaps a video. It can allow you to compare the image side-by-side[并排式] with other colorful shirts you try on. It might even show you how the shirt will fit without having to change.
A handful of primarily[主要地] upscale[高級(jí)的] retailers, including Neiman Marcus注1 and Nordstrom注2, are testing versions[版本] of this high-tech fitting room. Experts say the masses[大眾] will be able to try these innovations[創(chuàng)新] at more stores in the next few years. It will happen as the technology gets cheaper.
This trend is a way stores aim to catch up to online rivals like Amazon.com. Online, companies are able to gather information on which items shoppers browse[瀏覽]. The companies can use that to recommend other products. The new technology that enables physical stores[實(shí)體店] to collect much of the same data as online retailers raises privacy[隱私] questions. But executives[主管] say customers are offered[提供] a choice and the data is protected.
Stores are tapping into[挖掘] the significant role the often-forgotten fitting room can play in purchase decisions. While 36 percent of store browsers wind up[以……結(jié)束] buying something, 71 percent of shoppers who try on[試穿] clothes in the fitting room become buyers. That is according to Paco Underhill, a retail consultant[顧問(wèn)]. Yet the typical fitting room isnt always inviting[誘人的]. Only about 28 percent of shoppers even walk into a dressing room of a typical clothing chain, Underhill says.
“The dressing room experience in many places has been close to miserable[痛苦的],” Underhill said. “Theres bad lighting. Theyre dirty. And they have poor service.”
Some companies are working to change that impression. Later this year, Big Space, a technology company, plans to test a new mirror at an undisclosed[未泄露的] clothing chain. It will recognize the gender[性別] of a customer and make recommendations[推薦] based on that. Customers will also be able to request or purchase items directly from the mirror. They can even have them shipped.
Other technologies are already being tested in stores. In recent years, stores like Bloomingdales注3 and Top Shop注4 have tested tech that lets shoppers see how they look in an outfit[服裝] without trying it on.
The patented[專利的] MemoryMirror注5 from a Palo Alto, California-based company called MemoMi is one of the most advanced in this so-called virtual[虛擬的] dressing, a feature thats expected to be tested in U.S. stores later this year. The mirror is outfitted with sensors[傳感器], setting off[引起] motiontriggered[由動(dòng)作引起的] changes of clothing.
MemoryMirror uses pixel[像素] technology that captures[捕捉拍攝] even small details, such as a wrinkle[褶皺] on a skirt as it moves.
For those trying on the clothing, the mirror also doubles as a video camera, capturing a 360-degree view of what an outfit looks like and making side-by-side comparisons. Shoppers can then replay the video and share it with friends.
Earlier this year, Neiman Marcus rolled out[推出] the MemoryMirror. And its already outside fitting rooms at three of its locations; in Walnut Creek, California; San Francisco and the Dallas suburb[郊區(qū)]. Its even considered activating[激活] the “virtual dressing”feature[功能].
John Koryl is president of Neiman Marcus stores and online. He said that the mirror allows the retailer to have specific information regarding[關(guān)于] who tried on the dress and bought it for the first time. “shoppers must register[注冊(cè)] for a unique account[賬戶] with their email address to use the mirrors features. Any data collected on the mirrors usage is anonymous[匿名的] and aggregated[合聚的].” he said.
This is how it works. A touch screen allows the customer to flip through[瀏覽] a catalog and indicate[指出] which items he or she wants in the dressing room. The customer inputs their cellphone number and the sales clerk texts when the fitting room is ready. When the shopper walks in the dressing area, the mirror recognizes the items and displays[展示] the different clothing on the screen.
Minkoff said the two stores testing this technology are selling the clothing two and a half times faster than expected. And shoppers are increasing the number of items they buy by 30 percent. “We are creating dressing room therapy[療法],” said Uri Minkoff.
However, the new technology has some consumer advocates[消費(fèi)者保護(hù)團(tuán)體] concerned.
“People love new technology as long as they are aware of what is happening to them and have control of their data.”said Nuala OConnor. She is president & CEO注6 of nonprofit[非盈利的] Center for Democracy & Technology.
But some customers are embracing[擁抱] it. Wendy DeWald, of San Francisco, spent $1000 on her first trip to the Rebecca Minkoff store. And shes returned a few more times. She doesnt mind sharing some of her personal data to get a better experience.
“Im pretty blown away,” she said. “Its a toy in the dressing room. It enhances[提高] the experience.”
想象一下試衣間里配有一面智能鏡子。當(dāng)你拿著一件紅色襯衣進(jìn)去,鏡子就會(huì)為你推薦幾條牛仔褲作為搭配。鏡子可以錄制動(dòng)態(tài)視頻,在視頻里你可以將不同顏色的襯衫搭配進(jìn)行對(duì)比。你甚至無(wú)需更換衣服就可以得知襯衣是否合身。
包括內(nèi)曼·馬庫(kù)斯和諾德斯特龍?jiān)趦?nèi)的幾家主要高檔零售商,正在測(cè)試不同版本的高科技試衣間。專家稱,幾年后,大眾就能在更多的實(shí)體店體驗(yàn)到這種創(chuàng)新技術(shù)。隨著科技成本的降低,智能試衣間將成為現(xiàn)實(shí)。
對(duì)于那些想要與亞馬遜這一類網(wǎng)上零售商競(jìng)爭(zhēng)的實(shí)體店來(lái)說(shuō),這一趨勢(shì)將成為他們的出路。網(wǎng)上零售商能輕易地收集到顧客正在瀏覽的商品信息,然后根據(jù)這些信息向顧客推薦其他商品。這一新技術(shù)能讓實(shí)體店收集到與網(wǎng)上零售商一樣多的信息。同時(shí),智能試衣間也與網(wǎng)上零售商一樣存在隱私問(wèn)題。但執(zhí)行主管說(shuō),顧客們會(huì)有所選擇且他們的所有信息都受到保護(hù)。
試衣間在人們的購(gòu)買決策中扮演的至關(guān)重要的角色經(jīng)常被人們遺忘,而現(xiàn)在實(shí)體商鋪正在挖掘它這一無(wú)限潛力。銷售顧問(wèn)柏高·安德希爾表示,有36%的顧客在只看不試的情況下最終會(huì)買下商品,而71%顧客則會(huì)在試完衣服后才將其買下。然而,傳統(tǒng)試衣間卻不總是那么受歡迎。只有大約28%的顧客會(huì)走進(jìn)一家典型的服裝連鎖店試衣間試衣,安德希爾說(shuō)。
“很多店鋪的試衣間體驗(yàn)都很糟糕,”安德希爾說(shuō)?!肮饩€暗淡、骯臟不堪,服務(wù)態(tài)度也很差?!?/p>
一些公司正努力改善顧客對(duì)試衣間的印象。一家叫“大空間”的技術(shù)公司計(jì)劃今年年底在一家秘密服裝連鎖店測(cè)試一面新型鏡子。這面鏡子能夠辨別出顧客的性別并以此為客人提供建議。顧客也能直接通過(guò)鏡子挑選并購(gòu)買商品,并送貨到家。
其他相關(guān)的技術(shù)也已經(jīng)在實(shí)體店展開(kāi)測(cè)試。近年來(lái),像布魯明戴爾百貨和尚品百貨已經(jīng)測(cè)試過(guò)一種技術(shù),在無(wú)需試穿的情況下,也能讓顧客看看衣服是否適合自己。
總部設(shè)在美國(guó)加利福尼亞州帕洛阿爾托市的MemoMi公司為其研制的記憶鏡子申請(qǐng)了專利,這面鏡子是在所謂的虛擬試衣領(lǐng)域里最為先進(jìn)的技術(shù)之一。年底,這項(xiàng)技術(shù)有望在美國(guó)各大商店投入測(cè)試。這面鏡子配備了傳感器,顧客可以通過(guò)動(dòng)作來(lái)激發(fā)傳感器,達(dá)到換衣服的效果。
記憶鏡子采用的成像技術(shù)能夠捕捉到甚為細(xì)微的東西,例如裙子抖動(dòng)時(shí)產(chǎn)生的褶皺。
當(dāng)顧客試衣的時(shí)候,這面鏡子也兼作一個(gè)攝像機(jī),360度全方位捕捉顧客穿上衣服的樣子,并將其不同的搭配進(jìn)行對(duì)比。接著顧客可以重播這個(gè)短片或者分享給好友。
今年年初,內(nèi)曼百貨正式推出記憶鏡子。你還可以在加州桃核溪市、舊金山和達(dá)拉斯郊區(qū)這三個(gè)地方體驗(yàn)這面記憶鏡子。內(nèi)曼百貨甚至還考慮啟用“虛擬試衣”的功能。
約翰·高麗是內(nèi)曼百貨實(shí)體店和網(wǎng)店的董事長(zhǎng)。他說(shuō),有了這面智能鏡子,服飾零售商就能掌握到更多詳細(xì)信息,例如是誰(shuí)試了這件服裝以及是誰(shuí)第一次買下它的。“顧客如果要使用這面鏡子,就必須要用他們的郵箱注冊(cè)一個(gè)獨(dú)一無(wú)二的賬戶。所有收集起來(lái)的關(guān)于鏡子使用的數(shù)據(jù)都是匿名處理并最后進(jìn)行匯總的?!彼f(shuō)。
一起來(lái)看看鏡子是怎么操作的。顧客可以在觸摸屏瀏覽目錄,并選擇自己想要試穿的衣服。顧客輸入自己的手機(jī)號(hào)碼后,當(dāng)試衣間準(zhǔn)備好時(shí),售貨員就會(huì)通過(guò)短信告知顧客。當(dāng)顧客走進(jìn)更衣區(qū),鏡子就能識(shí)別出顧客已經(jīng)挑選好的衣物并將其在屏幕上展示出來(lái)。
明科夫說(shuō),兩間正在試用這一技術(shù)的商鋪售出衣服的速度比預(yù)期快2.5倍。同時(shí),顧客也比以往多買了30%的商品?!拔覀冋趧?chuàng)造改良傳統(tǒng)試衣間的方法,”他說(shuō)。
然而,這一新技術(shù)也引起了消費(fèi)者保護(hù)團(tuán)體的擔(dān)憂。
“只有當(dāng)人們對(duì)一切正在發(fā)生的事情擁有知情權(quán),并且能自己掌握其個(gè)人信息時(shí),他們才會(huì)喜愛(ài)這一新技術(shù)?!狈怯M織民主與科技中心的董事長(zhǎng)和執(zhí)行總裁魯娜·奧康納如是說(shuō)。
而一些顧客則對(duì)這項(xiàng)新技術(shù)持歡迎態(tài)度。來(lái)自舊金山的溫迪·德瓦爾德在第一次去逛瑞貝卡·明可弗品牌店時(shí)就花了一千美元,并且后來(lái)她又去逛了幾次。如果能獲得更好的體驗(yàn),她并不介意與別人分享一些她的個(gè)人數(shù)據(jù)。
“簡(jiǎn)直太棒了,”她說(shuō)?!爸悄茜R子就是試衣間里的一個(gè)玩具,它能帶來(lái)更好的試衣體驗(yàn)?!?/p>
注1:尼曼,以經(jīng)營(yíng)奢侈品為主的美國(guó)連鎖高端百貨商店。
注2:諾德斯特龍(Nordstrom)是美國(guó)高檔連鎖百貨店,經(jīng)營(yíng)的產(chǎn)品包括服裝、飾品、包包、珠寶、化妝品、香水、家居用品等。
注3:布魯明戴爾百貨店,美國(guó)著名的百貨商店品牌,成立于1861年,是美國(guó)梅西百貨旗下的連鎖商店。
注4:英國(guó)快速時(shí)尚品牌,屬于英國(guó)最大的服裝零售商Arcadia集團(tuán)。
注5:一款智能的“全身鏡”,即虛擬試衣鏡。
注6:即Chief Executive Officer,執(zhí)行總裁。