The 1,750 square meter Paris Adidas Sport Performance store occupies two floors on the Avenue de Champs Elysees and features a wide selection of Adidas products. The core part of this store is a pimped mi-adidas sales system, called mi Innovation Center (mIC)
"The "mi Innovation Center" will change the way consumers shop and their expectations at retail. It is a true first and we are thrilled to premier the mIC in Paris offering customers a whole new dimension of interaction with adidas products," Karen Feldpausch-Sturm, Senior Vice President of Global Retail for Adidas, is quoted in a press announcement. Adidas, headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, plans to roll out the new high-tech concept stores in major cities worldwide, including one in China in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Features of the new customization unit in the mIC include:
# A large glossy, black cube is the focal point of the center. Here, customers can customize their own "mi adidas", using now a larger flat-screen configurator to alter the details of the shoes by simply pointing a finger to the screen. Laser and infra-red technology then translate the gestures into commands. Foot scanning and pressure scanning is done as in the mi adidas stores before.
# New is also a virtual mirror where users can see their personalized shoe on their own foot without even removing ones shoes!
# But customization is not only high-tech: Customers are accompanied by specially trained "adidas experts" who, like a personal trainer, advise on nutrition, exercise and products. With a portable hand-held PC, the sales associates record a consumer's personal data and desires, creating a user profile that he/she can view at their convenience via the internet.
# In addition to the cube, the center also provides some insight into new approaches of selling standard products: At a table, a sliding carriage can be moved over a desired shoe and then specific product information will appear on the screen via Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology
Shop of the Future
Adidas "mi Innovation Center"
Trend Themes
1. Virtual Mirror Technology - Development of virtual mirror technology is a disruptive innovation opportunity for retail companies looking to improve the in-store shopping experience.
2. Product Customization Assistance - Providing customers with personalized advice and assistance, based on their personal data and preferences, is a key disruptive innovation opportunity in the retail industry.
3. Interactive Sales Technology - Using interactive sales technology, such as RFID, in conjunction with personalized customer data, is a disruptive innovation opportunity for companies looking to improve their sales strategies.
Industry Implications
1. Retail Industry - The retail industry can benefit from disruptive innovation opportunities such as virtual mirror technology, product customization assistance, and interactive sales technology to improve the overall customer experience.
2. Sportswear Industry - Companies in the sportswear industry can capitalize on disruptive innovation opportunities such as virtual mirror technology, product customization assistance, and interactive sales technology to differentiate themselves from competitors and improve customer engagement and satisfaction.
3. Technology Industry - The technology industry can play a critical role in delivering disruptive innovations, such as virtual mirror technology, product customization assistance, and interactive sales technology, to support the retail and sportswear industries in meeting customer demands and expectations.