NEWS

The Rakuten Institute of Technology Future Merchant Design Laboratory conducted a demonstration experiment using the VR Remote Customer Service System on Saturday, May 18. With the cooperation of the select shop Zootie, we connected the Zootie Styling Lab in Kita-Sando, Tokyo, with the Zootie Kobe Sakaemachi branch store, to demonstrate a new shopping experience where you can receive clothes coordination from a Tokyo stylist while staying in the Kobe shop. On the day, many customers, including families and friends and people of all ages, experienced the system.

Using digital signage installed in a real store as a hub, we can talk with a remote top stylist freely while in the store, and select clothes together. It also makes it possible to pick up the items recommended by the remote stylist on the spot at the actual store side and check the materials and sizes. At the end of the experience, a QR code is issued, and you can send your own photos and product information, with the clothes worn, to your smartphone, take it home, and then purchase it at your own convenience. Some of our customers also shared their proposed clothes photos with their friends on social media.

What we are looking at is a new shopping experience, where online and offline collaboration is improved (OMO – Online Merges Offline). In this field trial, it was a valuable opportunity for customers to experience the fusion of online and offline, while interacting with stylists and exchanging products and inventory information on the e-commerce site. We will further pursue future shopping experiences while making use of the knowledge obtained from this demonstration.

【Demonstration Report】
Date and time: 13:00 – 17:00 on May 18 (Saturday)
Place: Zootie Kobe Sakaemachi Store and Zootie Styling Lab (Kitasando, Tokyo)

For reference, below you can read about the past demonstration of the system that we did at CEATEC 2019.

https://rit.rakuten.com/news/article/Events/2018/1026_01/

For more information about the activities of the Future Merchant Design Laboratory see their homepage below.

https://www.geijutsu.tsukuba.ac.jp/futuremerchant/