Physical retail stores are in a constant battle for survival. Faced with the challenges posed by online shopping, they’re constantly seeking ways to innovate and attract customers.
For a while, simple TVs were enough to be of interest. Today, they’re so diluted in our everyday experience that we don’t even pay any attention. A TV displaying advertisements or discounts really isn’t cutting it.
Luckily technology continues to evolve, and today there are many exciting innovations in audio visual setups to draw and retain customers. Here are 5 of our favorites.
Use the Retail Shop Itself as a Display
Extremely thin, flexible LED panels allow shops and shopping malls to turn the walls, floors, and ceiling themselves into engaging, immersive displays. The picture quality is amazing, with vibrant color and excellent dynamic range. Customers can literally walk through your video display and see your message completely encompassing them.
Virtual Reality plus Shopping Equals Engrossed Customers
Everyone has a smartphone on them these days, and most are capable of running at least basic virtual and augmented reality apps. Combining in-store displays with augmented reality or virtual reality technology can help to create an immersive customer experience that simply can’t be replicated online.
The trend is called “shoppertainment”, and uses a combination of mobile devices, mirrored displays, and digital signage to achieve excellent results.
Virtual Spaces
Shoppertainment spaces ramped up to 11 can be used to create larger-than-life virtual spaces which can be used to showcase products in a way no other method can. Large, carefully controlled spaces using enormous displays and “3D sound” are used to highlight products in exceptional ways. These spaces are particularly great for travel exhibitions, and for showcasing audio visual technology on a sales floor.
Spatial sounds add an element of immersiveness that even the wraparound displays of using walls and ceilings can’t achieve. 3D sound allows customers to hear different parts of the environment as they were truly moving through it, rather than traditional mono, stereo, or even surround sound mixes.
Virtual Clothing Displays
One of the most popular audio visual trends in the retail space is using mirrored smart displays to let customers try on clothing without the need for a change room. Customers just stand in front of the display, select the clothing they want to see, and get a virtual display of them wearing the clothing in real-time. They can turn, see themselves from different angles, and even change the lighting.
Visualize Product Features
Smart technology has made its way into every part of our lives, from our phones to our fridges and even our houselights.
Dynamically displaying these custom features — and giving customers a chance to not only experiment with them, but create their own personalized settings before even buying the item — is a great way for retailers to grab customer attention. For example, smart mattresses that have programmable zones can have important information displayed on a screen that really lets customers see the difference between settings. Combining both the visual information, and trying the mattress in-store, allows for a more immersive customer experience than ever before.
