The new art of virtual shopping

Digital shopping is the future! In response of the retail industry in the superiority of the online shops more and more innovative solutions of personalized and interactive shopping are offered.

The search for adventure worlds plays an important role. The customer is emotionally addressed, whether online or at the point of sale (POS) in the store. There is no longer any distinction between online, mobile or POS. Rather, the structures are blurring and the purchase beyond determined categories is constantly increasing. The retail industry is facing the challenge to shape and drive this development forward, that has emerged clearly.

The virtual world of shopping is the answer to the flood of online stores

Especially in recent years, the media world has been steadily developing, but the design of showcases has always remained the same for decades. The so-called shopping worlds of experience in showcases, mostly promoted by big chains, provided some attraction but could not keep up up with the advanced media technology. The challenge for the retail industry seemed to be unbridgeable for years.

The virtual showcase: Digitization at the point of sale

Virtual shopping has attracted much attention in the industry for some considerable time. The technology is innovative and based on the emotional appeal of the customer. A completely new kind of shopping experience arises. The consumer gathers information about virtual offers and services in the store as well as in front of a showcase; the customer selects: agrees delivery times and pays with his credit card. He is doing this completely independently and at any time, day or night, whenever he is in front of the showcase. Virtual shopping combines communication online as well as offline. As a result it is implementing a digital and interactive trend in the field of visual merchandising. Mesut Yilmaz, CEO of Gesture Powered GmbH, puts in a nutshell by saying: “In the future, this state-of-the-art technology will play a key role in the concept of the shopping experience. Thus a new era of retail business is also ushered at the same time.”

Why is virtual shopping so interesting?

Virtual shopping – whether in store or in front of the showcase – involves the customer and also prospective buyers” Mesut Yilmaz says. With the brand “Magic Schaufenster” his company has already successfully launched developments in gesture controlled programs.

“The booming e-commerce caused problems for many retailers. The effects are difficult to predict on site for small and medium retailers. They are in need of new concepts to attract the potential new customers of tomorrow. To remain competitive it is absolutely indispensable to align the POS on the digital customer.

The digitization of the point of sale is determined by several and complex factors. Communication in a two-way-system is mandatory and the first important step to inspire confidence. This two-way-system consists of emotional involvement and a constant flow of information. Of essential importance is the communication between customer and product as well as service. Furthermore it is vital to make an attempt to leave the traditional one-way nature of the customer and to raise it to a new level. Until now, the consumer perceived commercial messages, advertisements on television or in glossy magazines, but no further action was caused by them. This is seen as one-way advertising.

But now, by the means of interactive advertising a direct invitation to the consumer can be created and it enables the consumer to customize the advertising itself, to enrich it with information and to notify a shopping experience. Thus a direct communication with the company, the brand or the product will be possible. On the other hand suppliers and retailers are enabled to consider the wishes of the consumers as well as recognizing new trends in time. Therefore the gesture controlled solution offers retailers an excellent way to design their showcases to an innovative sales area.