M&S Testing AR Store Navigation Tool

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M&S Food is set to begin trials of an app that allows users to enter a product and then be guided by an on-screen augmented reality path to its shelf location.

According to trade magazine The Grocer, the tool is due to be tested by staff at the M&S Food Hall in the Westfield Shopping Centre.

The app shows markers and points to a product on a shelf when the user holds up their smartphone. When held down, a compass points which way the user should walk. The tool, which has been developed by AR startup Dent Reality, can also calculate the optimum route between items when the user enters a full shopping list.

The system, which is expected to become a feature of the main M&S app, could be made available for public use early in the new year if trials go well.

Speaking to The Grocer, Dent Reality co-founder Andrew Hart said: “They want to improve their customer experience, surface recommendations and recipes, and bring all the things they do online, to the in-store experience.

“And the second thing is – they want to improve their online order picker efficiency.”

Interim results from M&S last month showed sales in its food division had grown 10.7% to £3.14bn, with operating profit climbing 31% to £143.7m. The group highlighted its success in broadening the appeal of its food range with more products and family-orientated ranges. A shift towards cheaper prices has also helped the business gain market share as people used the retailer from bigger grocery shops.

NAM Implications:
  • A long overdue no-brainer…
  • A pointer for others?

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