PPDS has announced that 110 of its 4K 55in Philips X-Line videowall displays have been installed inside the futuristic new Modivo store in Warsaw – said to be the world’s first fully automated ‘phygital’ retail store.
Modivo’s technology partner Nanovo – a Warsaw based specialist in creating digitised spaces for enhanced client attention and engagement – installed the 110 Android displays throughout the unique store. Designed for 24/7 operation, and with FailOver security (screens never go dark), the installation includes an imposing, near bezel-less 25 x panel Philips videowall, which – thanks to its in-built Pure Colour Pro software for delivering higher luminance through custom colour temperature – creates an illuminating, immersive environment for visitors when entering the store.
Located inside the 85,000 sqm, Galeria Mlociny shopping mall in Warsaw, Modivo – part of the Eobuwie.pl group – is a leading online fashion retailer with an online catalogue of more than 70,000 items across nearly 250 brands. These include Armani, Boss, Calvin Klein, Diesel, DKNY, Guess, Kurt Geiger, Ralph Lauren, Lacoste, among others.
Opened in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the Modivo store – the first under the Modivo brand – has been designed to offer a “revolutionary”, modern, more convenient and safer shopping experience to customers, fusing the benefits of both physical and digital, online shopping experiences, with PPDS playing a central role.
“With consumer shopping behaviour already shifting online, Modivo had a vision to bring the same speed, convenience, and cost benefits to their physical stores,” explained Mariusz Chludzinski, sales director Poland at PPDS. “A volatile global pandemic added to the mix also meant that the store had to be designed in such a way that it could continue operating throughout the most challenging conditions. Ensuring customers are able to have a comfortable, safe and enjoyable shopping experience. To achieve that, a partner was needed that shared the vision for innovative change to support the business and its customers – no matter how radical those ideas might seem. At PPDS, we share that vision.”
Breaking away from tradition, the new Modivo store design does not feature any stock on the shop floor, creating a more open, cleaner look, with fewer staff. Instead, customers entering the store – a “theatre of digital displays” showcasing the latest fashions, collections and company branding – sit on dedicated sofas to browse the store’s catalogue using a touch tablet. Running on Nanovo’s proprietary digital in-store platform, SIGNIO, all stock is displayed on an easy-to-use interface, which is directly linked to the store’s adjoining ‘automated warehouse’ (stock room) – which holds more than 100,000 items.
Once customers make their selection, they then simply enter their mobile number on the tablet to receive a unique code. This code can then be presented at the fitting room entrance and, once scanned, the customer is directed to one of eight available fitting rooms – each named after major fashion capitals around the world, such as Prague, London, Milan. Their items are then made available behind sliding doors located within the fitting room.
In addition, each fitting room is equipped with a wall mounted touch screen display, which shows the customer’s initial selection. Again, this display is connected directly to Modivo’s warehouse logistics system for added convenience, allowing customers to view and amend their selections (for instance, by adding new items and sizes), which will again be delivered within moments. The days of leaving the changing room or asking a friend to go and search for items and sizes have gone.
Once the customer has made their final decision, they can confirm their order using the display and leave the fitting room empty handed. The items they wish to buy are then delivered to the collection point where they are paid for, concluding the visit.
“The retail sector, in the future, will see some incredible changes,” said Dariusz Sobczak, board member, Nanovo. “Modivofits into this transformation by offering its customers a top-of-the-line omnichannel model. It comes down to transferring the experience that customers know from the online world to a physical store’s space.”
