Future proofing brick and mortar stores in the age of online shopping: Winimy shows the way

10th August 2018

Artificial Intelligence (AI), the hot topic of this generation, has made everyday chores smarter, and has the potential to substantially enhance customer experience. With its ability and guarantee to not just automate mundane tasks but also offer creative insights which is why industries in every sector from banking to healthcare are adopting it.

With hyper-personalization all across digital technologies, consumers have embraced artificial intelligence on a personal level with open arms like the voice assistants sitting in their pockets. This puts shopping malls at the risk of being hit by a retail conundrum. With the millennial spending directed more on multi-sensory experiences than over product ownership, malls can no longer be just about traditional shopping. As technological trends are taking over, they are reshaping the consumer expectations while malls are struggling to stay relevant, drive growth & boost efficiency.

Winimy has revolutionized this space by introducing the world’s first voice AI way-finding & concierge solution that has been utilised succesfully at many events. Winimy’s mall specific way finding and concierge service was showcased recently at the Office Expo Asia 2018 customized for The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. The objective of the solution is to provide seamless omni-channel shopper engagement. The AI-powered concierge solution provides a huge advantage to the hospitality industry with the following benefits.

1. Serving as a receptionist/assistant

Imagine getting lost in the vast square feet of the Shoppes. Isn’t it annoying not being able to find your way to your favorite spots? The AI-concierge assists you with basic navigation/wayfinding in answer to robot-taught phrases like “Show me the way to the nearest washroom” or “How do I get to Louis Vuitton”.

2. Serving as an interactive guide

I Don’t let your visitors leave uninformed about the promotions, sales and events in the mall. From providing information on the events happening around the mall, to the various deals at different stores, the AI-concierge acts as a source of engagement and information for visitors of the mall.

3. Third party service integration

How likely is a customer going to revisit your mall if the mall helped him/her book a cab? Winimy partnered with Grab, largest ride-hailing service in Singapore to bring this convenience to the event attendees at the Office Expo Asia 2018. Thereby eliminating a very common pain point of conveyance and transportation at such huge events.

4.Omni-channel

Taking one step further from the mainstream touch and type, the prototype focused on the power of convenience i.e., voice. It can be tweaked to be consistently used over other platforms ranging from websites to social media to mobile applications for example, directing customers to the correct spot on the website or FAQ. If the assistant comes across an unusual or complex request, they simply connect the customer to a live chat advisor.

5. Insightful Analytics & data

The ease of analyzing foot traffic without the need to stand at the door and manual headcount is possible with this technology. The solution is meant to keep learning and doesn’t forget a thing. The information tracked can improve customer satisfaction by identifying & decreasing customer pain points and creating delighting them. Also, a major problem to the malls today is the lack of direct access to visitor data. The concierge solves this problem by collecting data about the customer efficiently to give you real time information that can help improve service and accuracy in predicting consumer needs. AI technology, the more it gets used, the more the dynamic algorithm learns, becoming more efficient & effective.

The Bottom Line :

The mall solution can be further developed to include in-app payments, integrations with other third party applications and solving complex/unusual requests by enabling a support feature that can connect the customer to an employee or a staff member.

Places like Marina Bay Sands, the shopping Mecca with the largest collection of luxury retail stores, spreading over 10,00,000 sq ft and home to high-end restaurants, cafe, bars and fun attractions, will be the ideal avenue where such solutions can be implemented. Their reward schemes called “Destination Dollars”, that allows shoppers to redeem their points at any shop in the complex can be a customized feature included in what can be a physical, walking-talking concierge in the form of their mascot.

Winimy AI helps companies build the VOICE of your brand: Drop us a line at [email protected] to find out how.