Skechers has introduced Luna, an AI-driven in-store assistant that engages with shoppers, offers styling suggestions, and learns about your preferences while discreetly gathering data on your likes.
Making its debut at Skechers’ new flagship location in Singapore’s innovative Punggol Coast Mall, Luna represents more than just a trendy addition. It’s part of a significant trend in retail toward “phygital” experiences, where the line between the physical and digital shopping realms is increasingly blurred into a comprehensive, data-rich customer journey.
Introducing Luna
- In-store AI Stylist: Luna employs speech-to-speech AI technology to recommend shoes and outfits tailored to what you’re currently wearing or browsing.
- Continuous Experience: Customers can keep the conversation going later via Telegram, extending the assistant’s functionality beyond the retail environment.
- Live Personalization: Luna fine-tunes its suggestions based on real-time data, merging advanced AI capabilities with a personable interaction style.
Insights from Skechers
“With Luna, we’re enriching the retail experience by providing a unique, interactive, and social platform,” said Irene Lee, Senior General Manager at Skechers Singapore. “Innovation is part of how we engage with our customers.”
Luna’s purpose extends beyond merely selling shoes. It serves as a data collection tool, where each interaction helps Skechers improve its inventory, marketing strategies, and design choices. As Manolis Perrakis from We Are Social Singapore stated, “Agentic AI is fundamental to the future of consumer-facing systems.”
The Advantage for Shoppers:
When chatting with Luna, you’re actively participating in a feedback loop. The AI learns about your preferences with each conversation and guides you toward specific products. While it’s convenient, it also possesses a level of influence that is subtly powerful and potentially intrusive.
Privacy Considerations:
As conversations shift to messaging platforms like Telegram, which feel more private, users may not fully grasp the extent of the information they are sharing and how that data will be utilized.
Challenges Ahead
Can Skechers implement this advanced AI system in older stores that lack a robust technological framework? Additionally, how can they retain a human touch in a setup that automates personal connections?
Skechers’ Luna operates as a blend of chatbot, personal stylist, and unobtrusive observer. It offers a preview of the AI-enhanced future of retail, where the shopping experience is not only seamless and intelligent but also somewhat monitored.
Would you be willing to accept style advice from a machine keeping an eye on you? Skechers is banking on your answer being yes.
