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The day of just having beautifully attired mannequins is over. The digital world is opening up a whole new frontier for retailers. New and wonderful ways to engage customers and showcase products. The possibilities are immensely exciting, but the resource requirements challenging. The digital world is a two edged sword. A window to an imaginative and captivating domain, but equally leaving you looking like yesterday’s brand if you do not creatively unlock the magic of what is available.

Gucci is encouraging consumer interaction in its retail stores with the launch of a new immersive experience using groundbreaking technologies. Unveiled at its newly-renovated Milan via Montenapoleone flagship recently, the initiative includes 50 LCD video wall displays from Planar Systems tiled throughout the store that from 2012 will enable natural human-computer interaction – forming one of the most technologically-advanced retail environments in the world.

The first phase, three “zones“ have been developed: the Immersive Window Display, the Immersive Entrance Display and the Immersive Women’s and Men’s Fashion Show Displays. 

People can pause, rewind and search for specific content by making simple hand gestures in front of the displays. Then, if a customer likes a certain product they will be able to receive an image on their mobile device allowing them to consult with friends and later send a notification to their usual sales assistant in order for an item to be reserved.

The Gucci initiative is also a greater reminder of whether it be virtual or real, shoppers are going to more and more expect to be entertained and thrilled in their shopping excursions – simply because that is what the best retailers will be offering. If you are a retailer, without the deep pockets to fund a Gucci type brand gesture, then you must look for other creative ways to engage. Make it personal, make it intimate, make it real, make it funny, make it outlandish, make irreverent, make it a social cause ……make it something!