Because they have to compete with online shopping, retailers are constantly trying to come up with ways to reinvent the shopping experience and now Mastercard is testing a new way to bring the convenience of the online experience into the store.
The credit card company is launching a pop up store in Manhattan, called “The Next Big Thing,” which will be open from September 23rd through October 12th, and give folks the option to make purchases without ever leaving the fitting room.
The shopping experience starts with customers downloading an app where they’ll put in their payment information. Once shopping, “smart” mirrors in the dressing room will recognize the items the shopper is trying on through an electronic tag in the label. The mirror will then display the item, and offer the customers different sizes and colors, and can even suggest accessories that will go with it. To make a purchase, all the shopper has to do is touch the items on the mirror, and they item go right into their cart, where they can purchase them on the mobile device. They can even opt to have the item delivered.
If that sounds convenient, there’s another option that’s even easier. Say the customer sees an item in a display window as they're walking by a store and wants to buy it, but the store is closed. All they’ll need to do is tap the glass to display it, enter their phone number, and they’ll get a text with a link so they can pay on a mobile site. Now that’s what we call window shopping!
- As for how likely it is these concepts will reach a wider shopping audience, Stephane Wyper, a Mastercard senior vice president, says they’ll likely become common in all areas of retail soon, or more specifically “in the next six to 18 months.” "Retailers have a really strong appetite to try new things,'' she tells “USA Today. "They’re moving quickly, and it’s something we’re seeing in the here and now. It’s not ‘The Jetsons.’''
Source: USA Today