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Financial Times
Trying on the Future
Having uploaded a virtual version of herself, a consumer can see if products suit anywhere.
Just as fashion editors are having to become bloggers and tweeters, retailers should be thinking not just e-commerce but also m-commerce – as in “m” for mobile. With the advent of the 4G world, consumers are about to be able to shop for anything, everywhere, all the time.
Hanna, a shopper, has her body mapped at an in-store kiosk and uploads a virtual version of herself to the high-speed data cloud. She then goes shopping on her mobile and tries items on virtually. Later, when she goes home, Hanna continues shopping on her smart TV, chatting in real time with an online personal shopper and sending choices to her friends via social networks.
However, just as there is no “stop” button on an iPod (only a “pause”), a default “shop” state for consumers will have its pros and cons. According to Holition, which describes itself as an “augmented reality retail specialist”, consumers will have access to a wealth of money-saving promotional codes offering more economical shopping.
But Lynne Murray, brand director for the London-based company, says there is a less welcome side. “The user will be constantly profiled. The targeting of product based on what you bought most recently may have a negative effect on consumer’s attitudes as they switch off to a constant ambush of communication from retailers,” she says. Jonathan Chippindale, Holition chief executive, agrees. “Content will need to be presented carefully so as not to appear to interfere or pester the individual with products and services they do not want.”
Fiona Harkin
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