The Future of Retail
At 5 Star Plus Retail Design, we are excited to present you the “Store of the Future”. Are you curious how stores will look like in the year 2100 and what retail brands need to know to evolve and cater to younger generations? We had the opportunity to discover the answers to these questions working with GenZ representatives. In this article of our new series we present their image of what the “Fashion Store of the Future” will feel like.
Welcome to the Future
It’s all about experience and convenience. We asked our trainees to brainstorm ideas for the ideal “fashion store in the year 2100”. Imagination was allowed to go free and disruptive thinking was encouraged. The concept we received incorporated a strong design perspective in line with the New Retail philosophy: personalization with advanced technology for maximized customer experience and convenience. The store of the future will be all about maximizing the personal experience of consumers.
Politically Correct, Holographic Mannequins
Personalization happens from the very first second when entering the store and even before that. The mannequins presenting the newest collections in the store and part of the window displays all look different. They talk to customers having a different cultural, ethic and linguistic background from all around the world. In our “Store of the Future” the mannequins are placed on holographic pedestals and are able to change their body size, shape and color. This depends on the actual consumer demand making them highly adaptive and more human-like. Special materials are applied to shock and surprise: glass for the flooring and walls, and marble for the ceiling.
Intelligent Fitting Rooms for the Maximization of Space
The fitting rooms are tube shaped areas with transparent or holographic walls when not in use. They disappear, become part of the overall space, making the open area bigger and maximizing space in the most efficient way. Once a fitting room is occupied, the same walls turn into mirrors.
The Virtual Fashion Advisor
A must have – the virtual fashion advisor. This artificial intelligence system analyzes the body shape and preferences of the customer and then proposes different product options. The fashion advisor then shows how a whole set of products would look on the customer using holographic technology.
Minimizing the Stock, Maximizing the Experience
In the shopping area the amount of clothes on display are kept at a minimum. A giant LED screen serves as an interactive catalogue. The selected items emerge from behind the screen, out of the wall. Clothing racks also appear from the ceiling or even from the ground. These surprise effects get customers both excited and entertained.
Payment Without Moving a Finger
Face recognition is used as the supporting technology for payment transactions. Once customers register, their face is linked to their bank account. The system recognizes which customer purchased a specific item and will automatically debit the account.
About the World Traineeship Week
In order to get answers to our questions and gain valuable insights from this very interesting young generation which will play an important role in future retail, we partnered with BenCham to host four students from the Netherlands for four days. They took part in actual projects as well as brainstorming and the discussion of ideas. In the second article of this series we will present their view on the ideal restaurant design and features. We are excited. Stay tuned for more coming soon!