UCD Concepts

I previously posted about a really cool concept from Intava called Indigo.

Last week I received a comment from Linda Bustos asking a couple questions regarding this concept.  I am happy to say that Intava responded with answers to her questions.

Does Indigo keep track of the store’s inventory?

Yes, Indigo can be integrated with a store’s existing inventory infrastructure, enabling it to intelligently suggest only items that are in stock.

Does it allow you to select other colors and check other store’s stock?

Yes you can select other colors and sizes.  The retailer can also set options that determine whether stock from other stores is shown.  The availability of items at other stores can be displayed on staffers’ handheld devices, enabling them to give shoppers instant, on-the-spot answers to availability questions.

Does it check online stock?

When integrated with a retailer’s existing inventory system, Indigo can report on online stock, as well as stock in other stores.   Ultimately, these features depend on the accuracy and sophistication of a retailer’s inventory system, which can vary from retailer to retailer.

A big thanks goes out to Intava for getting these answers out to the public.

I have been researching the subject of virtual/video merchandising lately and came across a really cool concept by a company called Intava.  The company designs and builds dynamic touch screen systems for major retailers throughout the U.S. and is becoming well known for their innovative solutions.

So what does Intava have to do with fitting rooms?  Well, they have designed a concept called Intava Indigo for apparel retailers.  I have attached four screenshots and their descriptions to explain the process.

Intava Indigo equips apparel store fitting rooms with a digital touch-screen system that connects customers to staff roaming the retail floor. Shoppers beam requests for different sizes and colors to roaming sales associates equipped with wireless devices. Customers get help without leaving the fitting room. Sales associates can serve more customers and make more sales without breaking stride. Intava Indigo also suggest-sells logical additional items and accessories to the customer.

Indigo eliminates the shuttling between fitting rooms and garment racks on the retail floor. When a customer in the fitting room selects another size, the message is beamed out to a salesperson.

Entering information in the privacy of the fitting room, apparel shoppers using Indigo can request different sizes with honesty.

Indigo is designed to increase items purchased per store visit by automatically suggest-selling complementary goods.

After reading this, I became a big fan of the concept.  I don’t shop for clothes as much as some people, but I have been caught in the fitting room with the wrong size one to many times, that this type of system would have become my best friend in minutes.  The experience alone is something to think about and really gives the consumer a better shopping experience overall.

Another added benefit is the suggested selling opportunities it could bring to retailers.  Tie something like this in with your product recommendation system and you could have a handful of choices without ever stepping out of the fitting room.  All you would have to do is touch the screen and let the sales associate do the rest.

So the next time you are out shopping, think about how something like this might benefit you and maybe even suggest it to the store manager.  You never know, they might be in the market for something like this.

If you liked this post or maybe have some questions, let me know about it.  Maybe I could contact a representative of the company for a small interview.

Cheers.