Apparel business trends

The Internet and mobile devices have conquered the world. Smartphones in particular have radically changed the way people shop. Consumers now purchase items wherever and whenever they like. E-commerce is a major shopping location. Apparel enterprises are embracing this trend and trying to enhance omni-channel and O2O(Online-to-Offline) marketing.

Toshiba Tec's technologies and multi-faceted expertise come together in solutions that maximize the synergy of brick-and-mortar stores and online shopping venues. Our solutions deliver a new experience for both customers and apparel marketers. Customers enjoy greater shopping pleasure and convenience, while stores can look forward to an increased return-customer rate and enhanced synergy with their e-commerce site.

Toshiba Tec's solutions, today and tomorrow

• Personalized Recommendation Brochure: A system that prints out recommended items based on customer's instore purchases

On e-commerce sites it is common practice to recommend items related to purchase history. In a physical store, however, the style of recommendation remains traditional-mainly verbal suggestions and flyers.

Toshiba Tec's Personalized Recommendation Brochure (PRB) suggests items bases on analysis of a customer's purchase history at the store in addition to his or her preferences at the e-commerce site. PRB optimizes recommendations to individual customers and can print out a brochure in real-time while the staff is packing purchases.

This solution encourages shoppers to visit the retail store repeatedly, while also prompting visits to the marketer's e-commerce site. PRB facilitates effective handling of omni-channel retailing, and promotes sales at both physical stores and online.

• RFID technology: For easy search and checkout

RFID tags can help find items, simplify checkout, and improve workflow.

Our smartphone application takes customers to the in-store location of their desired items. This not only saves time and effort for customers. It also helps staff search for items in the back office

Furthermore, this enhances the customer's shopping experience at checkout. The customer simply places their selected items on the counter and the total is rung up automatically. Staff do not need to scan barcodes one by one, so customers save time, staff save time and the store gains efficiency. RFID technology also improves workflow efficiency by automating inventory.

• Digital Receipt System: Adapted to the apparel business, this shows recommendations on smartphones

Another solution that will promote sales is our Digital Receipt application platform, adapted for the apparel business. This collects data about purchased clothing and displays the items on the user's smartphone in a virtual closet. It then recommends items that coordinate well with the customer's existing wardrobe, thereby helping staff give smart advice to their customers.

* The Digital Receipt System replaces paper receipts with digital receipts that customers can access and display on their smartphones.

Event Information

Decoded Fashion is the top global event series connecting decision-makers in Fashion, Beauty and Retail with emerging and established technology companies. "Decoded Fashion Tokyo Summit 2015" was held at the Tokyo American Club on 9 July. Toshiba Tec exhibited solutions for the apparel business, focusing on its latest technologies such as the Recommendation system, Digital Receipt system, and RFID.
(Official website: http://www.decodedfashion.com/)