Image Recognition Technology Is Making A Big Splash In Retail
By Sam Lewis
That splash could rise to become a tidal wave in coming years
Within in the next few years, the use of in-store image recognition (IR) technology to help enhance the customer experience will be commonplace. The use of this technology on smartphones is currently geared toward benefitting the customer experience, but it also serves the retailer in another function — preventing showrooming, where customers browse in-store products, but buy them online.
Read about the measures Honeywell is taking to combat showrooming
By allowing customers to take a photo of a product in-store, the customer could see immediate inventory of the product and would be able to purchase it. An iOS app called Pounce is already doing this with partnered retailers like Staples, Target, and Toys ‘R Us. This technology could also be used to suggestive sell by recommending additional products similar to the ones a shopper is pursuing. “IR can help to reduce the cost of floor staff by allowing customers to get information though mobile devices, help customers understand product differences, or get technical help straight from the manufacturer, says Landis White, CTO at Parallel 6, a San Diego-based mobile technology company. “It can also help customers know if inventory of product is in-store and/or see other colors or configurations,” said White. “It also allows brands to track taps, scans, geolocation, and level engagement around products.”
IR technology can also a great benefit to marketers. Currently, many marketing pros are using QR codes and digital watermarks to promote products. However, that technology is limited in its abilities, particularly in keeping a campaign focused. QRs and watermarks must be incorporated into materials and can distract users from the focus. “Since image recognition is connected to the cloud, it is more effective because a wider variety of content can be accessed by a user and shared by the brand,” White says. “Image recognition can also scan a logo and bring up a YouTube video. IR is more accessible for our clients because it can be maintained by a marketing administrator simply by adding content.”
As IR technology advances, its role with brands, merchants, marketers, and consumers will also increase. The whole basis of the technology is sight, the sense which humans rely upon most to gather information. Eventually, developers would like IR software to be effective in recognizing any image, over any medium, whether it is TV, print, or out in the real world. Although that sort of impact is years down the road, it will happen, and right now, the most effective omnichannel retailers are adapting strategies for the technology to be used successfully by each type of user.