A groundbreaking partnership among SES-imagotag, Atos and Dassault Systèmes is delivering seamless connections between the virtual and physical store. By combining electronic shelf labels with digital services on the 3DEXPERIENCE business solutions platform, the partnership enables services such as ‘click and collect,’ which permits customers to purchase products online and then pick them up at the retailer’s nearest physical store. Compass asked Guillaume Portier, vice president of marketing at SES-imagotag, about the project.
– What key challenges do CPG and retail companies face when it comes to optimizing brands?
GUILLAUME PORTIER: Retailers need to optimize efficiency and enable a consistent experience for shoppers across all channels. Services such as click and collect now represent more than 10% of total turnover for food retailers in France. Retailers need to make sure their staff can quickly locate the products customers have ordered. Often, trainee staff or interns will do the picking. With thousands of stock-keeping units in the store, they can’t know exactly where every item is located. That presents a challenge, as a misplaced item can mean a missed sale.
In addition, retailers need to ensure they are compliant with agreements on how and where they display the brands they sell. To be productive and effective, traditional retailers and stores need to evolve and capitalize on the digital possibilities.
– What is the Virtual Store project among SES-imagotag, Atos and Dassault Systèmes?
GP: There are some great synergies between the partners in the project. Our vision was to combine our knowledge and capabilities to create a virtual 3D replica of the store that provides real-time information on every product. This is done using electronic shelf labels (ESLs) and 3D models to connect the physical store to a virtual model.
We first tested the concept three years ago in a small store in France, and today it is also live in a superstore near Paris. The project is initially focused on optimizing the supply chain and helping the superstore to locate every product it has in stock so it can ensure efficient click-and-collect services.
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