Westfield is pioneering a retail first by trialling an enhanced assisted styling and shopping service that uses an interactive mirror to offer a remote shopping experience to time-poor consumers.
Partnering with London’s Sanderson Hotel, Westfield is offering guests a virtual styling session with a Westfield Stylist to shop from their shop the season‘s must-have trends without leaving their hotel room.
The mirror, installed in one of Sanderson‘s Suites, is activated at the touch of a button and powered by embedded-video and Westfield‘s Product Search technology. Invisible when unused, once activated, two screens appear in the mirror – one screen allows a live video link-up with a personal stylist, while the other is an advanced search engine that enables the shopper to select products from the best retailers on Westfield‘s online product search. The Westfield Stylist will then assist in finding the right pieces and putting an outfit together.
Once an outfit has been selected, the items can be purchased and delivered to the Sanderson guest within 90 mins via Virgin Limo Bikes.
“Technology is at the forefront of the customer‘s retail experience and as technology evolves so too does the environment where we shop and crucially, how we shop,” comments Westifled CMO Myf Ryan, Chief Marketing Officer.
“Technology, or enhanced assistance, continues to evolve in tune with customers changing expectations of what a shopping journey should feel like. From our recent How We Shop Now report we know there is a strong desire to trial virtual reality services that not only enhance the shopping experience but deliver speed and convenience”
“Westfield knows that shoppers are looking to physical retailers to go beyond the transaction and provide richer consumer experiences that can‘t be replicated online. The ‘Virtual Stylist‘ delivers such an experience to the discerning customer who wants all the convenience of online shopping coupled with the personal service and human interactivity of a stylist selecting directly from the in-store range.”
