With the spotlight firmly on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Australian digital agency, Wongdoody chief experience officer, James Noble has shared his insights on the future of retail and the changing role of the physical store.
“AI is being added to almost every consumer product from TVs and fridges to toilets, toothbrushes, watches and cars. This will also become the norm for physical stores through intimate and more personal relationships between humans and AI,” he said.
“This will include trying on products virtually in store without ever walking into a changing room, trying, and matching makeup virtually, paying with a quick tap.”
AI and Augmented Reality (AR) will also add limitless space and experiences to physical stores, meaning they will no longer be bound by size.
“Stock can be browsed and seen in real time and payments made on exit, allowing staff to become more of a concierge. Ambient interfaces will reduce physical interactions, using gestures and voice creating a more inclusive environment.”
Wongdoody is designing and building AI models to help manage and support logistics on a global scale. With 22 studios globally, the company has access to retail trends and shifts around the world, sharing knowledge and insights across teams to stay ahead of the curve.
“Prototyping, testing and creating features and functions to find new revenue streams and opportunities in retail is a fast paced and exciting place to be and we’re leveraging our knowledge in other industries, applying new ways of thinking and approaches in the retails sector,” Noble said.
“We will continue to focus on spatial and ambient experiences, like the Apple Vision Pro, and Intimate AI to grow and build relationships between brand and customers. We are actively creating inclusive and sustainability design practices in everything we do, creating strategies, interfaces, products, applications to logistic solutions with a holistic approach to reducing carbon emissions and creating a more inclusive future.”