Our latest Future Of Retail Report looks at the trend of Service With An Opt-In. One manifestation of this theme is Neiman Marcus. The premium department store chain has developed a location-aware iPhone application called NM Service that adds a heightened level of personalization to its in-store shopping experience. The opt-in service allows a customer to program the app’s preferences to automatically alert sales associates when they walk into the store, providing staff with instant access to their shopping history and Facebook profile image, and if a customer prefers to browse on their own when first entering the store, they can simply “check-in” whenever they are ready for assistance. 

The app also allows shoppers to see which sales associates are in-store, message and make appointments with an associate of their choice, scan QR codes to unlock product information and trends as well as mark their favorite products – all of which, can automatically be made available to staff, helping associates make smarter recommendations about which products are right for each of their customers.

Neiman Marcus / NM Service

A summary of PSFK’s Future of Retail report is available to view for free - and a download of the full 100 page document can be ordered today.