Australian consumers are set to engage in a unique interactive in-store shopping experience at General Pants Co. following the unveiling of General Pants Kiosks.
Supporting the launch through its retail technology is Epicor Software Corporation, a global leader in business software solutions for manufacturing, distribution, retail and services organizations.
General Pants' interactive Kiosks are an Australian-first digital initiative fusing music, fashion and social media to create a unique shopping experience to guide, inform and entertain consumers via Apple iPad device displays.
The launch is the result of more than six-months of development to create an omni-channel platform that merges the online and offline shopping experience. The company will initially install the Kiosks in 10 stores across New South Wales (NSW), deploying to its additional 47 stores throughout Australia by February 2014.
"There are plenty of buzz words going around -- omni-channel, bricks and clicks, user experience, etc. Rather than fall into a category, we took a step back and focused on what our customers were doing. We asked ourselves what are we doing for them, how can we better communicate our stories and how do we enrich their experience? Our responses helped conceptualize the kiosks," said Craig King, CEO of General Pants.
"What's exciting about retail now is that technology has caught up to imagination. This opens the door to endless possibilities; but rather than drown your customers in technology, it's a chance to seamlessly engage them in your brand while merging with current social phenomena.
"We have taken key insights learned in recent years and used these to develop the Kiosks. We made sure they encompass everything our consumer has been asking for, including social integration, time poor options for shopping, peer to peer shopping, music, fashion, technology and entertainment all curated by the 'global trend hunters' -- the General Pants team."
An Epicor Retail customer since 2008, the General Pants Kiosks leverage the power of Epicor Retail Enterprise Selling and Warehouse Management, giving customers consistent access to more in-stock products via seamless inventory look-ups for kiosk-to-customer shipments, as well as warehouse fulfillment from the e-commerce site.
While interacting with the Kiosk's "Our Picks" features, the customer can select to purchase in-store or select to have the product shipped directly to their home via the Kiosk. Epicor technology drives the omni-channel experience at the Kiosks enabling the unification of inventory and order management across all channels.
"Combining social integration, peer-to-peer shopping, music, fashion, purchasing, technology and entertainment, General Pants Kiosks are transforming brand engagement and redefining the notion of 'omni channel shopping,'" said Ian Rawlins, vice president, retail product marketing for Epicor. "We're excited to partner with General Pants to provide Epicor Retail technology to power General Pants' Kiosks initiative fusing the digital/online world with the store environment, to both inspire and delight customers."
