Changing the State of Play

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Engaging consumers who are constantly on the move and mobile-enabled, isn’t easy in the ever changing world of e-commerce. Yet retail giants Express LLC , Walmart and CarreFour are demonstrating just how it’s done.

There is no doubt, with technology and methods of communication ever-evolving, retailers need to be innovative in order to engage with consumers, who are saturated with media and messaging.

This is exactly what US based apparel store Express LLC has done through its recently launched smart phone application. ‘The Express Mobile App’ not only offers customers access to the store’s extensive catalogue of products, ratings and reviews, connection to event videos and access to social media accounts, it utilises GPS technology to detect when customers are in range of an Express bricks-and-mortar outlet, sending through alerts for promotions or special offers.

The EZface 'Virtual Mirror' kiosk allows customers to test cosmetic products.

Another interactive technology that is being utilised by international retailers Walmart and Carrefour, is the EZface ‘virtual mirror’ kiosk, which allows customers to ‘test’ cosmetic products before they buy. Consumers are able to take a photo of themselves and then try products by scanning the relevant brand barcode, which updates and displays their photo ‘wearing’ the product – users can then print out the results with product details, email them to a friend or post them to Facebook.  EZface has also developed this application for web and mobile, meaning that consumers do not necessarily need to be in-store to ‘test’ products.

These innovations show alternate ways in which retailers can take advantage of a customer’s mobility, allow continuous interaction with their brand and present an incentive to shop wherever the consumer might be!

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Article by Nirosha Methananda

Nirosha is a content creator for The Media Pad, publisher of Power Retail. Coming from a marketing and communications background (in the legal, retail and online industries), Nirosha is excited to be able to put her knowledge and experience to work for Power Retail. Recently engaged, Nirosha is immersing herself in the joys of wedding planning! She is also an avid reader (of mostly fiction), always keen to get onto the golf course, likes to paint, tries to sing and is able to recall useless celebrity facts at the drop of a hat!

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