How retailers can sell more by tracking shoppers’ emotions

Retailers are often the first to adopt groundbreaking technology innovations because they deal with the end consumers most. When Artificial Intelligence (AI) started to make inroads into mainstream technology, retailers were the most interested in its prospects. The success mantra for retailers is knowing as many insights about a shopper in order to offer the best experience at every touch point, be it at a physical store or on a web store. From a consumer’s perspective, the inclusion of AI-powered technologies in shopping experiences are most welcome. Forbes recently pointed out that nearly 70% of the millennials in the US alone appreciate a retailer or a brand if they bring in an AI-powered shopping experience.

Learning shopping habits from previous purchases and providing tailored recommendations based on it is already a thing of the past. Almost every retailer offers this today and it is no longer a privilege for consumers. The next wave of personalized retail is AI-powered emotion tracking and recognition of shoppers. It might sound a bit out of the box but isn’t that how AI works? Today tools like Emotix can recognize a shopper’s perspective and thoughts about a product on display by analyzing their responses through

•       Facial movements
•       Attention span
•       Noticing rate
•       Body language
•       Accessories and apparels that they wear
•       Social media pictures through social login on web stores

By drilling down into these insights, retailers can seamlessly convert potential store hoppers or site visitors into actual buyers. A product that holds a customer’s attention for long is likely to incite a potential buying decision if presented with a small discount or as a packaged offering with something else. Such AI-powered tools can be integrated easily into existing store monitoring systems like CCTV networks and digital kiosks. They can easily pick up customer visuals from store cameras and then analyze their fashion choices based on their attire and accessories. Digital kiosks present in the store can then provide customized fashion choices that would be based on the shopper’s dressing choice as well as their accessories. The insights could also be routed to an iPad or hand-held PC that a salesperson can carry with them in the store. They can utilize this data to sell better to customers or explain to them about products that have caught their attention. Conversion rates would be very high for such initiatives because the salesperson is actually nurturing a lead that is already impressed by the product and has spent time on checking it out at the store.

Additionally, tools like Emotix can be integrated with eCommerce websites and identify customer interests from their social media data. All that is needed is a social media enabled login that connects the customer’s store accounts to their official social media accounts. By exploring their Instagram and Facebook feeds, shared posts and photos, their engagements with different photos, the tool can build a comprehensive shopping persona of the customer. This persona would contain elements like the customers’ favorite color, favorite brands, most preferred type of dresses or products, most engaged conversations around products and much more. Using this information, retailers can position targeted marketing campaigns for the customers ultimately driving them to their store and making a purchase.

In short, retailers can benefit tremendously from the adoption of AI-powered emotion tracking tools. It enables them to explore deeper insights, create personalized marketing campaigns and ultimately offer a more satisfying shopping experience to the customers. If you believe your retail business can perform better with an emotionally intelligent sales system,  talk to our experts today.