I tried out the new smart mirrors in H&M's fitting rooms in Soho. I liked the freedom it gave me, but I see room for even greater potential.

Sat, 04/06/2024 - 05:52

Selfie with smart mirrors — H&M's new smart mirrors show a virtual display of items you bring into the dressing room.
Ana Altchek

H&M's fully launched smart mirrors in fitting rooms at its new Soho location in New York City.
The smart mirrors scan the items you bring in the room and shows a virtual display on the mirror.
The mirror recommends items and allows consumers to request different sizes and colors.

H&M's new Soho store in New York City is the first to fully launch smart mirrors in its fitting rooms.

The smart mirrors in Soho identify customers' items, provide product recommendations, and let customers request different sizes or colors from the fitting room.

H&M implemented the smart mirrors after announcing the new technology in 2022 and testing a previous model at an H&M Williamsburg pop-up location.

H&M has experimented with other tech, like voice interactive mirrors at its flagship store in Times Square. The mirror was activated through facial recognition and offered selfies, style advice, and discounts.

While the Soho smart mirrors aren't the first of their kind, the technology hasn't quite made it to mainstream retail stores yet. Other brands have tried out similar technology, though, including Ralph Lauren, Neiman Marcus, Superdry, and Speedo.

The mirrors are part of a broader attempt to implement tech-enabled in-store shopping solutions, according to an H&M press release announcing the launch in 2022. Other changes include seamless payment methods and upgraded delivery and return options.

I went to the new store location in Soho to check out the mirrors.

H&M soho — H&M's new Soho location opened in February.
Ana Altchek

The 10,000-square-foot store is located on 591 Broadway and every fitting room has a smart mirror.

An H&M spokesperson said the store is collecting qualitative feedback on the mirrors directly from customers and store employees. It has also sent surveys to customers within its loyalty program.

The smart mirrors are located in the dressing rooms. They have an H&M logo in red at the top of the screen, and you may have to turn them on by selecting 'show screen.'

H&M mirror — The smart mirrors look just like regular mirrors but have a logo and a "show screen" button.
Ana Altchek

You might not notice the mirror when you walk in because it looks just like a regular mirror and it may be "asleep" when you enter, just like your phone or laptop if it hasn't been used.

The smart mirrors have a logo in the right corner though and you can turn them on by selecting "show screen."

The mirror automatically scans the items and displays them on the mirror so you can view the details and check out different colors and sizes.

5 items on H&M smart mirror display — You can see the item's description, all the sizes and colors available, and options to style it with.
Ana Altchek

I found that if you immediately hang the items, the smart mirror may not be able to accurately scan them so you have to wait a few seconds before setting the clothes down.

Once it shows the correct items, you can scroll through and select different ones.

The screen will show you a description of the item, as well as different sizes and colors available.

If you want to try a different color or size, you can request it on the mirror without having to call over staff outside the room.

Size request H&M smart mirror — If you want to try a different dize or color, you can request it on the smart mirror.
Ana Altchek

If you select a size or color, the screen will ask if you want to request it. It will also tell you if the size or color you want isn't available, and you can order it online on the spot by scanning a QR code.

It will show up as a request while it's on its way to your room.

request items H&M smart mirorr — You can view your requests on the virtual mirror to see if it's in progress.
Ana Altchek

After a few minutes of waiting for my shirt, I considered making a second request. Then I saw that my request was in the system which reassured me that it would get to me soon.

Staff members get a notification to fulfill the request and bring your item directly to your clothing room.

Staff assistance H&M — The employees come right up to your dressing room to hand off the requested item.
Ana Altchek

One of the employees showed me the process in real time, and she received a notification of the request within seconds of putting it in.

When it get busy though, she told me it becomes difficult to fulfill the request. The smart mirrors make it a lot easier to request clothing items so I imagine if it's busy, it might get difficult to manage.

I liked the freedom the smart mirror gave me to request items without worrying about bothering a staff member.

Shirt being handed over at H&M smart mirror — The smart mirror made it too easy for me to not request a different size.
Ana Altchek

The first shirt I tried didn't fit exactly right and on instinct, I gave up because it seemed like too much of a hassle to leave the changing room and grab a new one or bother an employee.

But the mirror made it too easy for me to not request a different size. The fitting rooms were moderately busy when I came in so I didn't get the item automatically, but it was still nice to put the request in without having to leave the room or call out for help.

For shy customers or those trying on a handful of items, I can see this tool being particularly useful.

Overall, I see a lot of potential with these mirrors and a few more features could transform the experience for customers.

full smart mirror picture at H&M — Other smart mirrors have a wider range of tech features that elevate the experience.
Ana Altchek

Other smart mirrors, like Ralph Lauren's, have a more elaborate display screen that truly changes the shopping experience.

Ralph Lauren's smart mirror offers a range of tech features like brightness adjustment, text updates on items, language options, and direct communication with employees through the screen.

While H&M's mirrors are fun to play with and useful for requesting items, a tool like brightness adjustment could transform the fitting room experience. As someone who loves to shop, I can say that the better I feel in the fitting room, the more likely I am to make a purchase.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Tech, Retail, hm, smart-mirrors

Source

I tried out the new smart mirrors in H&M's fitting rooms in Soho. I liked the f…