Fashion retailer Oasis is piloting beacon technology in its shop window mannequins in its revamped store in Meadowhall, Sheffield.
The VM Beacon technology, supplied by Iconeme, will allow shoppers to buy the outfit the mannequin is wearing directly from their smartphones using a specially designed app.
Oasis chief operating officer Hash Ladha said: “Oasis is well known for embracing innovative omnichannel customer experiences. We always use technology to enhance rather than overshadow. We’re excited about beacon technology and this is a subtle way to integrate it into our mannequins.
Ladha said using beacons was a good way to enable “assisted shopping”.
He said: “We know that in-store displays boost sales. This will enable people to shop them without asking a store assistant.”
Ladha said if the Meadowhall trial was successful Oasis would roll the technology to its other ‘brand experience’ stores. He also said there was potential to add beacons to other mannequins in its stores as well as its store assistants whose outfits also help influence shopping decisions.
Iconeme co-founder Jonathan Berlin said: “This technology will change the way people shop on the high street as it brings together both on and offline retail. Research shows that customers already use their smartphones while shopping in store, but until now, the retail industry hasn’t realised the full potential of this.
“The VM Beacon creates a completely new dimension to the shopping experience by combining the consumer desire to be connected on the go, with the bricks-and-mortar store.”
Oasis’ refurbished Meadowhall store opens on Friday. It is the latest store to be revamped to the ‘House of Oasis’ concept launched in Argyle Street in London in late 2011, which is designed to inject more personality into its shops.
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