ZCZC
BCN-17
US-IT-LIFESTYLE-CES-RETAIL
Retailers eye new tech, data to revive fortunes
LAS VEGAS, Jan 11, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – With robots, augmented reality
displays and other advanced technologies, traditional retailers are taking a
cue from the online world to find new ways to connect and keep customers.
The 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas featured dozens of
exhibitors showcasing how brick and mortar sellers can ramp up competition
against the likes of Amazon and other online merchants — and cope with what
some call a retail apocalypse.
Chinese retail giants JD.com and Suning each had a large presence at the
show in search of partners for their “retail as a service” strategy, to allow
merchants to plug into new tech platforms.
“We believe the future of retail is not about online or offline, it’s
boundary-less,” said JD communications manager Yuchuan Wang.
JD showed how retailers can use augmented reality screens that allow
shoppers to use gesture control to virtually try on and buy clothing and
beauty products.
With these systems, a retailer might not need to stock all apparel
products in all sizes, enabling the consumer to simply click on an item in
the store and have it delivered rapidly.
One of China’s largest retailers, JD also showcased the use of delivery
robots and drones which are being used in China, capable of reaching most
Chinese consumers within a day or two.
– Skip the cashier –
Suning, which claims to be China’s largest omni-channel retailer, also
showed augmented reality retail try-ons as well as its cashier-free store
similar to the Amazon Go model.
“I can pick up an apple and it tells me how much the price is,” said
Suning strategy director Watson Wat, who was showing CES attendees how its
technology can be applied.
“And with my products I just walk out and it uses facial recognition to
identify and charge me.”
MORE/HR/1000
ZCZC
BCN-18
US-IT-LIFESTYLE-CES-RETAIL 2 LAS VEGAS
Suning announced it was seeking partnerships with retailers for its “brain
of smart retail” that could enable stores to use its technology.
“I believe the technology is mature now, it’s affordable,” Wat said.
– Smart mirrors –
Elsewhere, Procter & Gamble’s booth at CES showed how customers can use of
augmented reality and facial recognition built into mirrors to get
personalized recommendations for skin care and beauty products.
“We capture a unique identification for each person and deliver
personalized results to them” on the basis of artificial intelligence, said
P&G’s Tina McCarthy.
SoftBank Robotics demonstrated how retailers can use two different kinds
of robots — one to interact with customers and another to monitor inventory
and store shelves — to help improve bottom lines.
SoftBank is partnering with Tally, made by Simbe Robotics, which scans
store shelves to keep better track of what is available.
“There is a massive problem in the retail space between what the system
says is on the shelf and what really is there,” said Steve Carlin of SoftBank
Robotics.
A more accurate system can help deal with merchandise which is overstocked
or understocked, he added.
“We can start to push the right type of advertisements or incentives to
shop the things that are over-inventoried,” he said.
– Getting to know you –
SoftBank’s humanoid robot Pepper is teaming up on the effort by
interacting with customers, including using facial recognition to greet
customers by name and guide them to products.
“For retailers, they know a lot about you online but don’t really know you
at all in the store,” Carlin said.
MORE/HR/1002
ZCZC
BCN-19
US-IT-LIFESTYLE-CES-RETAIL 3 LAST LAS VEGAS
Offering suggestions in the same manner as online retailers can make
sense.
“Retailers are always trying to get one more item in the basket,” Carlin
said. “They can’t get more foot traffic but they are hoping to get more items
in the basket.”
Maeve Duska of the consultancy USA Technologies, said many retailers are
stepping up efforts to keep up with the Amazon Go concept where customers can
walk out and pay automatically without waiting for checkout, a concept known
as “unattended retail.”
“Finally the brick and mortar retailer understands how much competition
there is from online,” said Duska, who spoke at a CES panel on high-tech
retailing.
“They are trying to duplicate the online experience.”
With facial recognition to identify the customer and fingerprint and
retina scans which can be used for payment, retailers are discovering ways to
speed up the retail experience, often without interacting with a human.
“We’re very much a self-service society,” she said.
For many younger shoppers, “they do not want to talk to people” in the
store.
– Tempered expectations –
Analyst Brendan Witcher of Forrester Research, another CES panel
participant, said some technologies like virtual and augmented reality can
offer value for some goods that can help customers visualize clothing or
other items.
But he cautioned against too much optimism about the use of data analytics
and artificial intelligence to market in the manner of Amazon.
“Most retailers still can’t get a personalized email out the door,” he
said.
“If that’s the case it’s not time to put a robot in the store.
BSS/AFP/HR/1005