The application and evolution of Technology with commerce happens at a break-neck speed, and the public adapts to it enthusiastically. A few years ago, you had to enter your credit card online whenever you wanted to buy something. Now, one-click technology allows you to buy an item from Amazon with a tap and a swipe. Passwords had to be memorized or written down (the horror). Now there are FaceID and Password Managers like Dashlane.
Dating myself: I remember a Verizon Wireless commercial that aired back when Night & Weekend minutes meant something. It featured someone at a concert getting messages from a stranger on their phone telling them they're cute. This (now creepy) commercial was for text messaging.
I remember thinking how silly that was. Why take the time to stop what you're doing and punch out a message? Why not just wait until you've got a few minutes to have a full-fledged conversation?
Fast forward 22 years, and now you have to be my grandmother or my employer to get me to have a conversation on the phone instead of texting.
Tech has turned its eye to a new target: the physical shopping experience. As Amazon and Walmart have made shopping online the new standard, physical retail locations have had to push to keep their doors open. This effort has given birth to a new movement; the phygital experience: blending digital experiences into physical spaces. Imagine it:
It's Sunday, and you're waiting for your friends to get there for brunch. You've got time to kill, so you wander into a clothing store, but they don't have any clothes on the floor. They do have mannequins, and as you walk up to one, you say, 'Beach outfit.'
Suddenly a digital outfit appears on the form. It's good, but your friends text you that they've arrived. You say, 'Text me.' over your shoulder as you walk out the door. At brunch, you show your friends the outfit image sent by the store, but the image they're looking at isn't just the outfit. It's you, on a beach, in the outfit looking amazing. After hearing how good it looks, how quickly would you buy it?
This tech doesn't exist (yet), but it's not as far away as you might think. Consider Hugo Boss' partnership with Reactive Reality's PICTOFiT. This technology allows users to create their own digital mannequins and see how items fit on these forms when shopping online. Currently available in EU Markets, this tech allows users to "try" clothes on before they buy and even style them to see what a shirt might look like tucked in or layered with other items.
I imagine it won't be long until a physical component is rolled into this. I can imagine a user can walk into the store, sign up or sign in to their account and try on as many items virtually as they'd like. Through this process most likely building a basket as they go so they can either try them on physically or just pack them up to go.
There are other applications that are happening in the phygital space: Mostly Heard Rarely Seen has launched a collection of clothing that allows customers access to a Metaverse gaming experience. Wizards of the Coast recently announced One D&D where players can move their avatars and minis in digital maps, and secure digital copies of books when they buy physical ones.
This world of Phygital is a brave new one without limits, and those who don't expand into it will be left behind as tech-savvy Gen Z comes into predominate buying power.