Next shop: the future
Experience interactive mirrors, virtual reality simulations and robotised mannequins this GSS
From a shopping trip down memory lane to a proud showcase of the present, GSS: Experience Singapore 2019 caps off with a flourish by giving us a glimpse into the future: A cityscape where technology and retail inevitably collide.
The Future of Retail loosely encapsulates several stores and restaurants along the Orchard Road stretch that have implemented digital technology to transform the shopping experience - from product viewing, to trying and testing an item, down to the final purchase decision.
It promises to excite patrons with never-seen-before mechanisation and digitisation of shop fronts, spaces and even fitting rooms.
For example, mobile payment solutions and a conveyor belt managing online orders in-store are some of the new features at Decathlon Singapore.
Explore products in-store by challenging friends or family to a quick game of futsal or basketball in the many free-to-play areas, just as you would in a match outdoors.
The Decathlon store also comes with connected fitting rooms, which makes shopping for sports gear.
Then there is the newly launched retail space, Design Orchard, a lifestyle destination that stocks over 60 local brands and boasts Insta-worthy glass-to-ceiling windows along with a rooftop garden.
The shops are fitted with interactive mirrors that double as a digital repository of the stores' products and allow shoppers to check out items using a mobile application.
VIRTUAL REALITY
Meanwhile, local furniture and lifestyle company The Commune Life is host to a three-dimensional floor planner and virtual reality simulation which enables shoppers to recreate their homes and organise the placement of their furniture - creating a virtual home away from home.
Atomi at Mandarin Gallery uses augmented reality technology by offering shoppers the chance to don a pair of Moverio Smart Glasses, which presents the Japanese lifestyle store's brand story and product details dynamically to customers.
With robots slowly taking over areas in the retail and hospitality scene, watch as they now replace ordinary mannequins.
Taiwanese company Wynist debuts the first-of-its-kind Animatronic Mannequins at the Under Armour Orchard Central pop-up store.
Cyber Runner and Space Runner robotised mannequins will be set up, meshing innovation with fashion into a spectacle worthy of one of the biggest shopping events of the year.
And if you think shopping is getting too boring, you can try "painting" - in 3D. The Tilt Brush virtual reality technology activated at Under Armour lets you paint with virtual reality.
Finally, accompanying the Future of Retail component of GSS: Experience Singapore is an initiative spearheaded by Singapore Retailers Association titled Windows Alive!.
It aims to nurture the next generation of retail experts by supporting and developing the capabilities of the retail industry, simultaneously adding a dash of locally sourced pizzazz to this year's GSS festivities.
Window shoppers can pose with the Windows Alive! shopfronts displayed at participating retailers, which includes CYC at Capitol Piazza and Fullerton Hotel, Deja Vu Vintage and The Commune Life at Millenia Walk, and Echo of Nature at Suntec City, until July 28, then upload the photos onto Facebook and Instagram and tag @gssexperiencesingapore with hashtag #GSSexperienceSG to stand a chance to win shopping vouchers.
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