Nordstrom announced it is testing eBay’s smart fitting room technology so it can bring the digital shopping experience into its stores. This is the same 24-hour shoppable window technology that Kate Spade used in 2013.
Fortune recently reported that since Black Friday, Nordstrom has been testing interactive mirrors that become smart screens at two store locations, one in Seattle and one in San Jose, California. There are specifications of the duration of the test program and whether it will expand to other Nordstrom department stores. Nordstrom revealed the possibility of incorporating the smart mirrors into the retailer’s outlet, Nordstrom Rack, but didn’t have a specific timeline.
The idea behind the technology is to help customers with their purchasing decisions in and out of the fitting room. If customers try on an outfit but want to try on a different color or size, they can use the mirror’s interactive component to find an alternative. Customers can make use of the fitting room mirrors barcode-scanning feature that enables the shopper to browse items on the mirror and then have the store associate bring them the selected items. The interactive mirror also displays customer reviews and style recommendations.
“The way customers shop for clothes has evolved,” Jamie Nordstrom, head of stores and former leader of Nordstrom’s Direct digital business, said in an interview. “How do we take all the information that’s available to customers while they’re sitting on the couch at home browsing and add that to the dressing rooms, so it’s the best of both worlds?”
Brining customers the online shopping experience into the dressing room might just combine both worlds.
“Nordstrom has long been a leader in the retail industry for technology innovation to enhance the service experience we offer our customers,” Nordstrom spokesman Dan Evans said in the same interview.
As for eBay, this is one of the company’s latest move toward bring the digital store into the physical space. ebay recently partnered with Simon Malls to implement high definition touchscreens to provide customers with directions, store sale information and special offers in its Palto Alto, California location.
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