Interview • 25.05.2023

Something is stirring on the shelf

Attracting attention with animated product presentation

A few aisles, many haphazard shelves and even more competing products – how can brands stand out from the crowd? A Romanian start-up has also asked itself this question. The answer: Tokinomo, an interactive robot arm that brings products to life. Company founder Ionut Vlad told us what's behind the idea and what role human DNA plays in it.

A sign with the inscription Hello Dear. Whats up? R U Hungry? on a shelf of...
Source: Lena Schmidt / iXtenso

Ionut, when it comes to shopping, do you prefer online or brick-and-mortar retail?

Both. Sometimes I like to shop in stores because it's more about the experience: you can look at several products, try them out or try them on. Online shopping is of course more convenient and faster. 

Nevertheless, you also believe that retailers should continue to rely on on-site stores, right? Why?

I don't think brick-and-mortar retail will disappear from the scene any time soon. I think both forms of retail can coexist. Of course, brick-and-mortar retail has to evolve and adapt to the new situation and circumstances, but it's not just in the direction of e-commerce. After all, brick-and-mortar retail has some advantages – especially in the food sector, where we operate: Customers can browse for news, take time out from the daily hustle and bustle, relax and get personal advice from employees.   

Your marketing solution relies on light, movement and sound – is a multisensory shopping experience now essential for brick-and-mortar retail?

Well, I don't think it's essential, but probably more efficient because people are bombarded with all kinds of stimuli and messages nowadays. Retailers have to try to appeal to the senses of their customers to get their attention. Movement, for example, is in our nature. So it's part of our DNA to respond to movement. Add to that light and sound, which can be used in different ways, and you have an overall image that appeals to customers.

A single beer can is highlighted on a shelf of beer cans. Above it the...
Source: Lena Schmidt / iXtenso

What does the creation of attention mean for the product presentation in the store?

A product must be visible during the customer journey. If it is not – regardless of quality, brand and price – it will be ignored. And the effort that the manufacturer has put into the product is ultimately ignored, lost or wasted. Basically, customers walk through the store or mall in autopilot mode. So they don't really notice every product. You have to stand out from the crowd. 

So the autopilot mode has to be broken, right?

Exactly, retailers have to get customers to lift their heads, look around and, in the best case, interact with products. To do this, we have developed a robotic arm that lifts merchandise off the shelves and makes it dance, so to speak. The solution is designed to be used initially in grocery stores, but would also be useful in pharmacies, gas stations and hardware stores, especially where different brands are offered and competition is greater.

What do you think brick-and-mortar retail will look like in 15 to 20 years?

I don't think too much will change, it hasn't in the past 50 years. However, I'm just talking about people walking the aisles and picking up their products. I think 15 to 20 years is not a long-term perspective: there are so many retailers who keep coming up with innovations and it just takes time to establish them.  

That's a very interesting assumption. Do you have a concrete example of this?

Just think about Amazon Go. The concept has been around for several years and is still not being implemented or used worldwide, because shoppers don't just change their shopping habits and seem to like going to the old familiar checkout. It's becoming mainstream, but it's not there yet. 

I think it will probably evolve and I think that the customer experience will be crucial because the customer is becoming more and more the focus: it's not about the brands anymore, it's not necessarily about the retailers anymore or what's technically possible, it's about the shoppers. Shoppers have the power to decisively shape retail, brands and products. And they set the pace.

Interview: Lena Schmidt

related articles:

popular articles:

Thumbnail-Photo: In-store communication: the key is feeling good...
30.03.2023   #multichannel commerce #customer experience

In-store communication: the key is feeling good

What matters in the meantime is the optimal customer approach

"Bringing Digital Retail to Life". For Radio Point of Sale GmbH of Kiel, Germany, the slogan says it all. The company focuses on the possibilities of auditory, visual and interactive communication at the point of sale within the ...

Thumbnail-Photo: World Retail Congress
18.03.2023   #online trading #e-commerce

World Retail Congress

25.04.2023 - 27.04.2023 | Barcelona, Spain

Shaping the future of global retailRetailing has had to face enormous existential challenges. From the Covid-19 pandemic through to today’s worsening macro economic conditions, there are increasing operational pressures and serious impacts on ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Lifebelt digital headquarters in retail?
09.12.2022   #online trading #e-commerce

Lifebelt digital headquarters in retail?

About You and Douglas – How retail can succeed in a digital world

In recent years, some companies that previously relied on their fixed location havebeen forced to switch their business model partially or even completely to e-commerce-but this is not enough to survive in this fast-moving and agile ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Attracting young customers with sustainability and metaverse...
22.01.2023   #e-commerce #retail

Attracting young customers with sustainability and metaverse

How ByondXR wants to shape the future of e-commerce

In marketing, standstill leads to regression faster than in many other sectors. Strategies that were the cutting edge ten years ago often no longer work today. "Generation Z" in particular has its own very specific demands with regard to ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Expo + Event Marketing Dimension at EuroShop 2023...
06.02.2023   #sustainability #event

Expo + Event Marketing Dimension at EuroShop 2023

Biggest showcase and ideas exchange for exhibition architecture, design, event and live marketing

135 international exhibitors in the Dimension Expo and Event Marketing – lectures on brand experiences, innovative event formats and cross-media linking on the Expo. New Special on sustainability. Exhibitor Magazine (USA) presents EuroShop ...

Thumbnail-Photo: e-marketing Paris
16.03.2023   #e-commerce #Tech in Retail

e-marketing Paris

28.03.2023 - 30.03.2023 | Paris, France

The trade fair for digital marketingThe e-marketing Paris is a trade fair focused on the e-commerce market with over 15,000 visitors annually, 190 conferences and over 300 exhibitors from well-known companies. The fair covers all topics from B2B ...

Thumbnail-Photo: NRF says GDP growth is slower but consumer spending remains positive...
02.01.2023   #retail #customer analysis

NRF says GDP growth is slower but consumer spending remains positive

Gross domestic product isn’t likely to grow as much in the final months of 2022 as it did in the third quarter, but consumer spending should remain strong

The National Retail Federation has published its GDP predictions for the last quarter of 2022. The results should hardly come as a surprise to close observers. ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Many paths lead to the checkout – or not!
09.02.2023   #online trading #retail

Many paths lead to the checkout – or not!

Analyse and optimise the quality of digital customer experiences

Knowing the online customer journey, even observing it over the user's shoulder – isn't that the dream of every online retailer? And then to understand why customers convert or not ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Kraft Heinz optimizes product content for 3000 SKUs to win on the...
07.12.2022   #e-commerce #digitization

Kraft Heinz optimizes product content for 3000 SKUs to win on the digital shelf

Salsify assists Kraft Heinz in delivering a consistent brand experience across every digital and physical retail channel

Salsify, the Commerce Experience Management (CommerceXM) platform empowering brand manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to win on the digital shelf, announced it is helping The Kraft Heinz Company update retailer product content in just ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Australia to spearhead ‘paperization’ of confectionery packaging in...
07.02.2023   #sustainability #food retail

Australia to spearhead ‘paperization’ of confectionery packaging in Asia-Pacific

According to GlobalData, leading confectionery companies are ready to test paper packaging in Australia in 2023

Leading multinational confectionery makers, Nestlé and Mars Wrigley Australia are set to test-launch their iconic chocolates and candy brands in paper packaging in Australia in 2023. The move, if successful, will trigger the ...

Supplier

Captana GmbH
Captana GmbH
Bundesstraße 16
77955 Ettenheim
salsify
salsify
7 rue de Madrid
75008 Paris
SALTO Systems GmbH
SALTO Systems GmbH
Schwelmer Str. 245
42389 Wuppertal
SES-imagotag SA
SES-imagotag SA
55 place Nelson Mandela
90000 Nanterre