Fans of science fiction minority report will remember a scene where Tom Cruis walks through a shopping centre where personalised advertisement automatically appear based on a retina scan. Well, such technology might be closer than you think. Irish company Von Bismark has developed a ground-breaking product that uses Microsoft’s Kinect to allow users to virtually try on clothes, place orders, cycle through an entire shop’s stock in seconds, and post about their purchases on social networks.
Launched at the Retail Business Technology Expo in London, the Von Bismark Wardrobe can be used to create a kind of ‘physical passport’ that includes facial recognition and demographic information like age, gender and height. This data can be combined with social network profiles or e-commerce accounts to form a comprehensive digital signature. By sharing images the customer is spreading the brand details to their demographic and data can be measured from ‘likes’. Retailers can use such openly available metrics to market more directly to consumers and can increase customer retention and sales.
The first version of the project, the Von Bismark Accessorise, allowed users to try on virtual fashion items gained over 100,000 users and had 7,000 pictures taken when it launched in Liffey Valley shopping centre for 28 days in December 2011.
"The Virtual Wardrobe solution allows for true multichannel," said CEO Eoghan O’Sullivan. "We are working towards a vision where consumers will be able to own [a] physical passport once they have scanned themselves on our system, and use it in any online store, high street space or on their mobile."
Well-known tailor and successful retailer Louis Copeland said the physical passports were making shopping easier for customers: "Von Bismark’s new virtual wardrobe means our customers can cycle through my stores stock in seconds. They can then try it and get their friends opinions by sharing pictures with them, making the whole shopping experience easier and more enjoyable."
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