Alibaba’s ‘Tmall’ Powers Futuristic ‘New Retail’ Megastore in Beijing
Alibaba Group’s consumer platform, Tmall, is taking retail by storm at a two-story, 1,300-square-meter Intersport megastore in Beijing. Located on pedestrian Qianmen Street—the main artery in a Beijing historical district—the store uses Alibaba Tmall technology, which merges traditional and digital retail experiences.
Tmall’s “new retail” technologies have helped sporting goods retailer Intersport improve its digital processes at its headquarters in Beijing. A spokesman for Tmall described the updated space, Tmall x Intersport Megastore, as “the first new retail megastore” for the sportswear category.
“When customers try out these features firsthand, we are confident that they will see the convergence of online and offline shopping as the future of retail,” said Jessica Liu, president of Tmall fashion and luxury.
The spokesman explained that the concept offers an “infrastructure that covers customer insights, supply chain management, retail technologies, smart logistics and electronic payment.”
Watch on FN
A variety of interactive features are present at the store, according to the spokesman.
Among them: “[a main window display that] can identify the gender and approximate age of a passerby and intuitively recommend appropriate products [using motion-sensor cameras],” and “a smart shoe mirror [that] can detect which shoes a customer is trying on and will offer information about them.”
What’s more, Tmall Fashion has also powered experiences that allow product details (like sizes and colors) to appear on an interactive screen when a shopper takes a shoe off one of the store’s “smart [shelves].”
What happens once a customer chooses a pair of shoes? Shoppers can scan the item’s QR code, put it into a “virtual shopping bag” and “make purchase decisions on Tmall later, even after they have left the store.”
Want More?
New Survey Finds Hidden Bank Fees Are Impacting Consumers
Nike, Wayfair, Oath Execs Reveal the Importance of Experience, Mobile Innovation
