The Canadian sporting goods retailer Sport Chek today unveiled a tech-heavy retail lab at its flagship store in Toronto. Utilizing interactive kiosks, digital signage and augmented reality, the official store of the Canadian Olympic Team goes all out for what it calls "an unparalleled shopping experience."
Retail Strategy
The retail environment is the primary execution of the brand, the Sport Chek announcement said, adding that the store's management believes that a fundamentally better and more inspiring retail environment can be achieved through the combination of world-class products, all-star staff and customer service and digital innovations to deliver powerful images, sound and interactivity throughout the store.
"Our goal with this live lab store is to test and demonstrate the latest in retail technology to deliver the same emotional rush our customers get when they are pursuing the sports and physical activities they love," said Michael Medline, president of FGL Sports. "The store will serve as a conduit between customers and their favourite brands, it offers unparalleled levels of customization and is staffed with the strongest product category experts in the industry."
Digital and Product Innovations
- Tile, Tablet, Touch and NFC Screens: The relatively small 12,000 square foot 'lab' features 140 digital screens installed throughout the store, including Samsung displays with ultra-thin bezels, touch technology and NFC capabilities allowing for personalized content and greater customer interaction with merchandise, the announcement said.
- Reebok installed a customized, 'build your own Reebok' kiosk in the store, where customers can custom-build their shoes and have them shipped directly within weeks.
- Staff Tablets: Staff are equipped with tablets loaded with vendor content to better serve customers, with the ability to 'take over' the larger screens in the store to show off vendor advertising or community content.
- Augmented Reality: Interactive 'augmented reality' is being tested in the store with customers being able to access customized offers and discounts by downloading the Sport Chek 'Scan and Save' app for in-store savings.
"With Samsung displays helping to power opening day, we are excited to partner with Sport Chek on this project that matches our ambitions to push the boundaries on innovation," said James Politeski, president of Samsung Canada. "Our partnership will see best-in-class Samsung technology rolled out to amplify this amazing retail experience and really wow Sport Chek's customers."
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