Oak Labs Points To Connected Tech As Way To Maximize Sales

Oak Labs has introduced a smart fitting room mirror that provides brick-and-mortar retailers with some valuable insight.

Data that tracks the behavior of online shoppers has been a huge part of the seismic shift that has allowed internet-based retailers to gain somewhat of a leg up on their brick-and-mortar counterparts. According to Fast Company, this tech company wants to help swing the pendulum back towards traditional retailers, and they just may have the tools to make that a reality.

Oak Labs has introduced a smart fitting room mirror that provides brick-and-mortar retailers with some valuable insight. The mirror builds upon the concept of RFID tracking technology to provide a clear picture on in-store products, namely by tracking items as they make their way into the fitting room all the way on to the checkout registers. The goal of Oak Labs is to provide customers with a better shopping experience, all while providing merchants with valuable data they may have been missing out on. Merging these two key aspects should translate into more sales for merchants that employ the smart mirror system.

Upon entering a fitting room outfitted with the technology, customers will be greeted with a display of the items they have brought with them, all tracked by the RFID technology that has become a staple of merchandise tags. Stores will by extension be able to track the items from the sales floor to the fitting room, and gain valuable data on which products ultimately make their way through to checkout. The mirrors provide a wealth of interaction for the consumers in the fitting room, including the ability to check for a different size, input their phone number to have the item id sent to them via text to purchase later online, and even the ability to change the lighting within the fitting room itself. 
Sales associates have access to tablets or phones that allow for a way to interact with customers inside the fitting room. For example, customers that have would like to see the product in a different size or color can send a request through the mirror. The sales associate will then be able to retrieve the requested item, or interact with the stockroom to locate an item that may not be on the sales floor.



Oak Labs first introduced its smart mirror technology through a pilot program with Ralph Lauren Polo last year, and has proceeded to introduce the technology in multiple other stores. Smart mirror is another addition to the tool belts of brick-and-mortar retailers as they continue to fight to win back market share from online retailers. Some of the online behemoths seem to have a substantial edge at the moment, but tools like smart mirror are helping to close the gap. 

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