2838: Revolutionizing Retail: A Deep Dive into Visual Commerce

[00:00:00] Are you ready to dive into the future of shopping? Where the lines between digital engagement

[00:00:08] and physical experience begin to blur, creating a different world where every customer interaction

[00:00:14] is uniquely immersive. Well in today's episode of Tech Talks Daily I'm going to attempt

[00:00:20] to demystify the innovative realms of retail attainment and visual commerce. And on your

[00:00:27] host Neil C. Hughes I'm going to guide you into this journey into the future of retail.

[00:00:33] And there's an old saying that I say many times on this podcast that the last best experience

[00:00:37] any of us has anywhere becomes the standard expectation for what we expect everywhere.

[00:00:44] So how is retail attainment and visual commerce going to create those new expectations?

[00:00:50] And what is your brand going to do if they're unable to meet those new expectations?

[00:00:54] And to help me today I'm honoured to have Angelo Colleta join me. He's the visionary founder

[00:00:59] at Zikiki and it's not just another platform though, it's actually a revolution in e-commerce

[00:01:05] that's enabling brands from Valentino, HP, XC, Uber Eats and so many others offer personalized

[00:01:12] shopping experiences but through 2D, 3D augmented reality and virtual triumphs. And this isn't

[00:01:19] just a future vision, they are currently serving more than 10,000 clients across over 400 industries

[00:01:27] around the world. So in this episode today Angelo is going to share his insights on how

[00:01:32] sea suites can gear up for the new Apple headset, the transformative role of AI in promoting

[00:01:37] things like ethical consumption, the burgeoning concept of retail attainment and how this

[00:01:42] is going to impact brick and mortar stores. But before we get today's guest on I need

[00:01:46] to pay the bills, we've got a huge podcast hosting fee to pay for when we're releasing 30 episodes

[00:01:52] a month and this month I've partnered with a company called Kiteworks. Now legacy MFT tools are

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[00:02:40] kiteworks.com to get you started today so buckle up and hold on tight as I beam your ears all

[00:02:47] the way to Italy where we're going to learn more about all this and how Angelo and his team here are

[00:02:52] not just shaping the future of e-commerce but but redefining how we think about shopping and

[00:02:57] personalisation. So a massive world welcome to the show can you tell everyone listening a little

[00:03:05] who you are and what you do thanks to inviting me and Angelo come at time to see you

[00:03:12] the Kiteworks and the Kiteworks that visual platform that help merchants to enable the customers

[00:03:18] to offer a mix of extruders that we call the visual commerce layer like to de-customisation

[00:03:24] to de-customisation AR in trial solution and only not only one platform that helps them to make

[00:03:31] this as seamless possible. Oh, we're talking about things like visual commerce etc it's such an

[00:03:37] interesting topic because right now of course as we record this podcast everyone's talking about

[00:03:41] the recent launch of the Apple new headset a vision pro and how so I'm curious on that side of

[00:03:47] things how should see sweet executives in retail and technology sectors how should they be preparing

[00:03:53] for the shift and what changes do you foresee in content creation and consumption as a result

[00:03:59] because it is very early days but it's easy to see where this could be taking us right yeah I think

[00:04:05] there will be different layer maybe physical stores something like Apple provision that can be

[00:04:10] useful so many content would change because probably the physical store becomes like a cinema

[00:04:16] theater and so the ads that in front of you can help you to receive different content and it

[00:04:23] makes your reality situation so I think that this is what will happen in the physical stores on the

[00:04:30] on the web sign B it could be part this this kind of you know interface could be part of the way

[00:04:37] to navigating the content in the future but the thing really is changing is what you can do

[00:04:45] what we call the product page now put on top of that a visual commerce layer and my opinion

[00:04:53] is that it's bad that you don't need to use any device to now to deep art of this new experience

[00:05:02] so I think that Apple Pro it could be only one not to intersect it you can use to navigate in that

[00:05:08] mix reality world that um we keep a piece of the retail tech for the future and that also brings out

[00:05:17] to other maybe conflicting or converging topics and that is artificial intelligence and ethical

[00:05:23] consumption so in your view what do what color role do you see AI playing in promoting ethical

[00:05:29] consumption and maybe reducing it for a mental impact in the retail sector and how are you

[00:05:34] integrating these principles into your AR and VR offerings because it feels like there's so much

[00:05:39] scum for change and exciting opportunities here yeah I think that the main impact was in the

[00:05:46] physical stores because they can AI can help to reduce energy cost reduce saving but nesting

[00:05:54] of materials and on fabrics that are using to produce the product that you're going to sell

[00:06:00] and I think that in terms of what from our side which is very interesting is they all

[00:06:06] could be very helpful to outmachion to provide themselves the 3D models and the 3D models can be a

[00:06:14] real substitute on simple and so the cost on sampling is a big cost in many manufacturers companies

[00:06:21] that this cost could be down and at the same time you can be Y, E, G or Android this way because

[00:06:28] you're seeing a lot of fabrics materials or whatever you need for doing that and change is the main

[00:06:34] aspect for AI in the retail sector 100% with you and before you came on the podcast what are

[00:06:43] the things that attracted to me you was that you were talking about retail tainment as a new trend

[00:06:49] which by the one that's not heard at that phrase it ultimately blends shopping within to

[00:06:53] table so can you elaborate on that concept and it's potential to transform the retail experience

[00:06:59] and what you're doing to contribute to that emerging trend too yeah yeah well what I think

[00:07:04] that now you know customer's are looking for you know like a gamification of experience and

[00:07:10] the other side the merchant or line and offline have to try to for this kind of experience so what

[00:07:17] does it mean sometimes you could be a r so you can interact with your product in your physical space

[00:07:23] sometimes is that you can receive content in a specific interface like for example at pro

[00:07:31] or Apple or maybe directly on your mobile so you can have something that adds some value

[00:07:38] to the experience that you are doing with yours rather than maybe configuration customization so maybe

[00:07:44] yeah and I'm buying shoes but you know I want to choose some pieces of the shoes maybe I want to

[00:07:50] write the sentences on that because it's a gift for someone and the same time when I see oh

[00:07:57] how others work on my sheet and you can use the triangle solution this kind of engage and maybe

[00:08:02] after that I can make a snap short and share with my friends with my family with my girlfriend

[00:08:08] and you know maybe I could put the tongue on to the CEO tell me which is the best for you no I saw

[00:08:13] this kind of engage with this changing tremendously the way to sell and the way to manage the

[00:08:19] loyalty of customers in a long term it feels like there was so many changes happening right now

[00:08:25] and it's easy to see how this might slowly unfold so if we look ahead how do you envision the future

[00:08:32] of physical retail stores specifically how will innovation is like AI and AI on such as Apple headset

[00:08:38] of somebody other things that we're seeing now like small mirrors in change rooms

[00:08:42] how do you see all this altering that in store experience yeah I think the story include change

[00:08:48] well firstly that probably now we bench it because for example I can imagine that the AI

[00:08:52] it could be no the the animal of the a personal avatar that to wait in front of you and a

[00:09:00] form of hologram to say hello welcome to you know good-sheet stores and maybe out to you

[00:09:05] to have a strange interaction with the store maybe it changes shape and show you the best article

[00:09:12] of the day and this is the interaction with the AI maybe product can talk with you when you maybe

[00:09:19] you start moving your eyes on them and then they can start providing you different content or maybe

[00:09:24] sound voice on them to tell you something more about the story of the product of the fabrics that

[00:09:30] they'll be used which is that there may be the environment protection that they are provided

[00:09:35] to all the change of the producer of anything like that so on the other side in terms of visual

[00:09:43] for for future we will see that probably the next store so without won't but they won't they

[00:09:49] would be like a video wall so maybe you can change the layout of the stores continuously dynamically

[00:09:57] or probably customers for customers if you have some specific tasks they can out for example

[00:10:04] AI can detect you and say which band of customers you are maybe can change something and what

[00:10:10] is going to show you so I think that the next store there will be more dynamically and full of

[00:10:18] mix and content and the AI would be one of the stigbart band interface between customers and

[00:10:24] product and giving the rising concerns about physical store security and theft that over here in

[00:10:30] the UK sadly those are huge spotkin shoplifting right now do you expect a significant impact on

[00:10:36] brick and mortar stores this year and how do you think technology like AR and AI can address some

[00:10:42] of these challenges that we're seeing today yeah I think so because as everyone now right now

[00:10:49] that the customer journey is something that is omnichannel so they they they manage the relationship

[00:10:56] with brand going to all the channels what is happening is that the physical stores it will be more

[00:11:03] digital and the digital experience it will be more physical with try on AR 3D experience so

[00:11:11] and so these two words are going to become very seeming in terms of multi-sensorial experience

[00:11:19] and this is the trends my opinion the experience would be omnichannel but it would be more similar

[00:11:26] in in any channels in the future and I'd love to find out more about the work that you're

[00:11:32] doing here so just to bring to life some of the work that you're doing can you tell me a bit more

[00:11:36] about how you're enabling merchants to offer things like personalized product experiences and

[00:11:42] also how you might see this level of customization influencing consumer behavior and loyalty

[00:11:48] in the future because there's an old saying that the last best experience you have anywhere

[00:11:54] becomes a standard expectation for those future experiences everywhere so can you tell me how

[00:11:59] you're rising those expectations yeah sure at this moment you know we serve more than 10,000

[00:12:07] customers all around the world so customization where AR are out now a reality not only in the future

[00:12:14] huh there's there's a big wave that is growing up but it is a reality today so for example

[00:12:20] what we have seen that every kind of company that is using customization is having more conventional

[00:12:29] more loyalty and what is important that people want to pay a bit more to have a personal products

[00:12:36] and the cost to produce it in many industry is totally low so they can extract more value for

[00:12:44] that customer so first of all this is the possibility to create value around the business that you are

[00:12:50] yet providing now that's changing some rules and some expectation from the customer and the second step

[00:12:57] you can manage loyalty and retention with your customers because there can be

[00:13:02] a lot of the things that are being used to be unique now I'll take it to be unique with my brand

[00:13:10] and so you are happy to continue this buying from my side just because they give you this

[00:13:16] possibility that is our social proof and social sharing now so this is what we do for many brands

[00:13:23] this is a sector because in for example in a web to pin war and some engines customization means

[00:13:32] to save a lot of custom operation because it generates a bit to be channel you can say

[00:13:37] a lot of time you have your guys in a conference just for me the experience of the dialogue

[00:13:43] between the customers and the company in a digital workflow and this is made consumer

[00:13:51] and on the in terms of tradition you can see a lot of money and the luxury world is totally different

[00:13:58] people want to manage these petrol products in this case the quality of the curiosity that you

[00:14:04] provide and the level of customization that you can offer make you know put the brand in an

[00:14:13] upside-down on the terms of the competitor so the idea for the customers oh you are providing

[00:14:20] very short experience with your brand I saw I feel very comfortable to manage my purchase online

[00:14:30] with your brands and what we have seen that in any case there is

[00:14:35] conversion rate between 100-200% war loyalty that is going on and the average of any parts

[00:14:43] then all basket is going to be bigger and you did mention there how many the variety of brands from

[00:14:51] completely different industries so just to bring to life what you were just talking about

[00:14:55] how are you seeing immersive technologies like AR and virtual try on helping widespread brands

[00:15:01] from Valentino to HP reducing over manufacturing and actually creating a more targeted

[00:15:07] customer experience because I suspect there will be a few people listening within this industry that

[00:15:12] maybe sat on the side while I was wondering how it might be able to help them and these examples

[00:15:17] show that the 80s every industry isn't it yeah sure for example in Valentino and our money too

[00:15:23] will be restoring many others and actually work and using ask from two things first of all

[00:15:32] 3D asset from my 3D asset that looks like the photon so one they can do is to have 3D

[00:15:39] asset that can use all online experience for the customer for customized to show you how

[00:15:45] or whatever but on the other side they can use the 3D asset or for example dynamic ads

[00:15:53] to create immediately some you know slions for shows or maybe for physical stones so what is very

[00:16:00] interesting that these companies are becoming 3D century and they are creating their catalog directly

[00:16:08] to the the asset being time for shooting because they can use virtual photographer for shoot

[00:16:14] the 3D asset directly so they can say time money and also a better experience to the sign up

[00:16:21] customer in a word like HP is different because HP works on the 2D word so what what they do with

[00:16:34] or software solution is to provide a very deep tool to update customers to manage like something

[00:16:41] that you know what actually I take customize eShort or maybe a cop or maybe Sunday make peak

[00:16:47] burn or something like that in that case the quality of the software is not only the 3D preview

[00:16:52] one side but it's that an incredible number of features to manage the constructs of the

[00:16:59] customization online and the output that works for the industry to be printed so the output format

[00:17:05] that you provide to the merchant for do that job so it's very interesting because the visual

[00:17:11] back is at the front end for the final customer so some kind of industry is in front layer

[00:17:18] that we to be processed is a front layer that we back up is for many others

[00:17:23] and you guys are a leader in visual commerce so I've got to ask what would your vision be for the

[00:17:29] the future of this field and how do you anticipate technologies again like AI like AI evolving further

[00:17:35] to maybe conversion and hands the ecommerce experience how do you where do you see this heading

[00:17:41] yeah my opinion is that in you know 5-10 years I can't imagine any commerce that will not offer

[00:17:49] a piece of the visual commerce experience maybe someone we need all of the pieces maybe someone

[00:17:57] only some pieces for showing the meanwhile and some new experience that we can call visual

[00:18:03] commerce we grew up for example all the ground our time in terms of front end very

[00:18:09] interface but I can't imagine that engineers everyone that is not choosing a visual commerce

[00:18:16] it would be like you know all piece of history on the commerce experience so my vision is that

[00:18:24] on one side some new technologies are growing and and are becoming mature to be used in the

[00:18:30] visual commerce layer on the other side this complexity have to be managed to make simple

[00:18:38] the access of all these technologies together in a bit though when helps merchant to transform

[00:18:44] all these technology is something simple to using their combat and this is why we have decided

[00:18:50] to be a long thing because my vision is that this is something that it would be useful for everyone

[00:18:57] like now we are Shopify for billions of customers that are selling their products online

[00:19:06] imagine that there will be millions of users or the visual commerce app in their ecommerce

[00:19:12] sold physical stones and be to be channel so I think this is a very strong wave that is growing

[00:19:19] and every of these technologies converging to transform the way to manage their

[00:19:28] ecommerce layer in the way exciting times ahead and there is a real pressure on everyone to be

[00:19:35] at a state of continuous learning now and there will be a lot of people listening to our conversation

[00:19:40] inspired by what you are doing but also knowing that the speed of change in this industry is going

[00:19:45] so quickly right now so I've got to ask for yourself the small ride in that eye of the storm

[00:19:50] how do you self educate how do you keep up to speed with these changes any tips there for anyone

[00:19:56] listening yeah first of all is my first advice is when you are thinking about innovation

[00:20:03] the innovation is just arrived so don't think too much let's try to do it in practice because

[00:20:10] the competitive advanced not only that technology is ready to be used by the way that you are using

[00:20:17] your company so first of all don't spend too much time talking about new technology spend your

[00:20:23] time to try the new technology well and really can out your business to grow and second thing is that

[00:20:32] uh it's better to start doing something that is not totally perfect but you are playing the right

[00:20:41] king and it will be ready to be one of the main actor at the right time in that new world that

[00:20:48] is coming it's the same things that is happening when you say go with ecommerce no I remember many

[00:20:54] discussions or but if I start where my ecommerce website maybe I can cannibalize my physical

[00:21:01] retail stores no my end of the game people is free I don't want to choose the channel that what I

[00:21:06] use so it's easy to do it someone else would do it and the same things people want to engage

[00:21:12] the relationship with products people want to now live like in a game or every day they are

[00:21:20] they spend a lot of time in the movie game where uh they love to transform every kind of

[00:21:28] experience in something that looks like a game and for sure for sure for chasing and what are the

[00:21:33] most important activities in the social length and so for sure this is a very uh for my side is

[00:21:42] the most important revolution in the ecommerce uh and on the last 20 years because it's really going

[00:21:50] to change dramatically the way to interact with customers absolutely lovely I have a perfect moment

[00:21:57] to end on but for anyone listening one need to find out more information about the work that you're

[00:22:01] doing I'll add a video and things to the show notes so people can find you know I said easily but

[00:22:07] is it any way you'd like to point everyone listening to find out more information yeah sure from

[00:22:12] first of all let's visit that website you know so thank you to dot com uh and uh you can

[00:22:19] sign everything there's a lot of videos so you can understand exactly how you can use the technology

[00:22:26] for your company and you can see many other companies that is doing the same in your sector because

[00:22:32] we have customers in for under different sectors and verticals so there is an example all to use our

[00:22:39] technology in a lot a lot of industries and what is important our price is for everyone if you

[00:22:48] are a small guy you would pay a really small amount of money if you're a big guy you're going to spend

[00:22:54] but everything is balanced so my idea is one of my bull I want to give access to everyone

[00:23:02] to this later without any barrier between big guys and small guys because at the end of the game

[00:23:09] I want to see a battle scene where everyone can compete with the same weapons in their square yeah

[00:23:18] absolutely loves that well I'm going to be following your journey very closely I've

[00:23:22] poured everything that you're doing it and I look to get you back on next year and see how quickly

[00:23:26] this space is moving and I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to sit now with me today

[00:23:30] talk about the concept of retail attainment there the blending of shopping entertainment the future

[00:23:36] of brick and more to security and uh it brick and more a stalls and also what we can expect from this

[00:23:43] technology how it will enhance user experiences and set no expectations that runs have got to follow

[00:23:48] and it's as you've said though it's across every sector you can possibly imagine but thank you so

[00:23:53] much for sharing that with me tonight there's a blaser to share with my dogs video and your our

[00:23:59] followers so as we wrap up today's fascinating conversation with Angela there it's clear that

[00:24:05] the future of retail is bright it's interactive and it's personalized and I love learning more about

[00:24:10] how technology is changing how brands offer live products personalization immersive shopping

[00:24:16] experiences and showcasing the power of innovation in transforming how we shop and engage with products

[00:24:24] but I also enjoyed learning more about the potential of visual commerce augmented reality and

[00:24:29] the role of AI in ethical consumption it's opened up a new horizon for everybody to explore

[00:24:34] and when you couple that with the new era of retail attainment in blending shopping with entertainment

[00:24:40] reshaping our expectations of the shopping experience one thing is for sure the retail landscape

[00:24:46] is evolving in so many exciting ways so more than anything I just hope today's conversation

[00:24:52] has sparked your curiosity and maybe inspired you to think differently about the role of technology

[00:24:58] in retail but what are your thoughts on the future of shopping are you ready for a world where your

[00:25:02] shopping experience is as unique as you are share your thoughts with me by emailing me tech blog

[00:25:09] writer outlook.com twitter linked in instagram just at Neil C Hughes let's continue this conversation

[00:25:15] but remember in the world of technology and innovation the only limit is our imagination so

[00:25:20] until next time keep pushing these boundaries exploring the endless possibilities that

[00:25:25] technologies can bring to our lives so I'll speak to you all in the morning