Dive Brief:
- Zara is planning to add iPads to some of its dressing rooms to make it easy for customers to request a different size from a salesperson or ask a question.
- The fast-fashion chain is testing the system in the largest stores in its native Spain, and will decide whether or not to introduce them to the U.S. and other markets.
- In the U.S., upscale department store chains such as Bloomingdale’s, Neiman-Marcus, and Nordstrom are testing smart systems to aid customers’ purchase decisions.
Dive Insight:
Zara is testing a tech-enabled dressing room to help customers make choices from the relative safety of the dressing room. The fast-fashion chain has deployed iPads in some of its busiest Spanish stores to allow customers to request a different size or color by simply scanning item tags and tapping the touchscreen.
Zara has yet to decide whether or not to roll out the smart system to its more than 2,000 locations worldwide. Retailers such as Rebecca Minkoff, Bloomingdale’s, and Nordstrom are testing touchscreen mirrors inside dressing rooms at select U.S. locations, delivering similar convenience while collecting data on customer likes and dislikes.
Neiman-Marcus has gone a step further by installing the MemoryMirror—a system that helps customers try on and compare outfits virtually—at three of its U.S. stores. Retailers’ hope is that such systems will help them compete with online sellers by giving brick-and-mortar stores’ edge in trial and service a high-tech component.
