BT Deploys Digital Store Pilot Solution For Thomas Pink

USA - English

• India - English
• USA - English

DALLAS, January 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BT today announced that leading shirtmaker and luxury clothing retailer Thomas Pink has deployed the Acuitas Digital Internet of Things (IoT) platform, which helps retailers to digitize the physical store, at its Wall Street New York City store.

Thomas Pink installed the pilot Acuitas Digital IoT digital store solution as part of its digital strategy. It will enable the retailer to track in real time the movement of merchandise and people around the store, use big data analytics to predict shopper behavior and provide a foundation for real-time interactive in-store experiences. This will help the retailer personalize customer service, optimize store layout, improve employee workflows, reduce cost and grow sales.

Launched in January 2016, the Acuitas Digital Alliance brings together like-minded technology innovators determined to bring the full benefits of the new digital era across the entire retail supply chain. Its members are BT, Intel, RetailNext, NexGen Packaging, SATO Global Solutions and Valmarc Corporation.

Acuitas Digital's solution uses IoT multi-sensors to automatically scan the whole store in real-time to improve efficiency and unlock new interactive in-store experiences.  The IoT powered Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sensors provide real-time inventory visibility and movement tracking of merchandise throughout the store, increasing efficiency and delivering near 100 per cent stock accuracy.

This new IoT approach to digitizing the store overcomes the limitations of legacy handheld RFID systems that rely on manual weekly or daily store scanning.  Manual scanning can be error prone, time consuming and of limited value to retailers looking to deliver in-store interactive customer experiences or for real-time analytics.

The IoT powered video sensors within the Acuitas Digital solution will allow Thomas Pink to understand the behavior of customers in the store.  They will provide insight and intelligence on what customers are buying, who goes where in the store, merchandising effectiveness and how the stores are performing.

Alex Field, marketing director, Thomas Pink, said: "The Acuitas Digital solution will give us the insight to ensure that we have the right products, in the right place at the right time, all of the time. This is fundamental to delighting our customers and delivering great new digital experiences to the store.

"We will now be able to use big data analytics to improve store efficiency and performance to help our people to spend more time with customers rather than getting tied up in admin tasks.  We're incredibly excited about how it will transform the store for our people and customers.  It will bring our digital store strategy to life and will show how it can become a real driver of growth."

The Acuitas Digital solution is offered world-wide by BT.  It brings together best-of-breed components powered by the Intel® Responsive Retail Sensor, in-store analytics by RetailNext, software by SATO Global Solutions and RFID tags by NexGen.  This is underpinned by global BT's Cloud of Clouds and networking capability and international support.

Bas Burger, BT's president for the Americas, said: "There are many solutions on the market designed to help retailers predict customer behavior and improve experiences for shoppers. However, these solutions do not easily integrate with each other, and that lack of integration translates into data silos and limited usefulness.

"BT is working with Thomas Pink to maximize the business benefits of our Acuitas Digital solution, bringing together the power of IoT sensors, software and analytics to give a single comprehensive view of store operations and customer behavior.  This will help to grow sales, boost productivity and deliver a greater experience for customers."

The Acuitas Digital solution will help Thomas Pink and its customers in a number for ways.

For example, if a customer picks up a men's shirt, carries it elsewhere in the store and then abandons it for another product, the next person who's looking for that shirt may not be able to find it.  A sales assistant will then get tied up searching for the item, while the new customer waits.  With the Acuitas Digital Alliance solution, the Thomas Pink sales assistant will know exactly where to find the item, saving time, removing frustration and giving the customer a better shopping experience.

Moreover, if a garment sold happens to be the last one of its style and size in the store, the real-time nature of the Acuitas Digital solution will allow for a replenishment order to be made instantly and automatically by sending an alert notifying a sales assistant, rather than waiting until the end of the day for a stock check.

When combined with digital signage, the solution could also prompt a customer buying a shirt to consider a matching tie or cufflinks, improving service and helping grow sales.  Fitting rooms will be transformed.  New Smart Fitting rooms will improve customer experience and increase sales conversion.

Mike Beedles, chair of the Acuitas Digital Alliance, said: "Today's customers have higher expectations of the retail experience than ever before.  Digital solutions are key to helping retailers meet this challenge and seize the opportunities new shopping behaviors offer.  We're delighted to be working with Thomas Pink as it develops its digital store strategy and look forward to our mutual success."

For more information, visit the Acuitas Digital Alliance at NRF on booth 3181 or go to www.acuitasdigital.com.

About Thomas Pink
Thomas Pink was founded in London in 1984 by the Mullen brothers, whose founding inspiration was the history of Mr. Pink, the 18^th century tailor credited as the originator of 'hunting pink' - referring to the scarlet jackets of hunt staff. The Mullen brothers appreciated the fundamental quirk of British humour that something so obviously red could be referred to as Pink. This quirk so appealed to them that they saw it as a tension right at the heart of the brand they were founding - namely a men's brand called PINK - an obviously feminine colour. Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton acquired the brand in 1999.

From business and casual shirting to evening and Made To Order shirting, PINK shirts are made using traditional, time-honoured methods with exclusive fabrics from world-renowned mills. Detail is everything – the collars are hand turned and are composed of up to 14 individual pieces. Pink shirts are available in Classic, Slim and Super Slim Fit and in addition, the brand also offers tailoring, separates, knitwear and accessories.

Celebrated for innovative design, Thomas Pink made its name with the renowned original Classic Fit shirt. The style is a modern take on the classic Jermyn Street cut and is generously designed for style and comfort. It features a long tail that stays tucked, as well as signature PINK gussets. Since then, Thomas Pink has launched a number of pioneering shirting solutions – including the Athletic Fit and the Independent collar.

2015 saw the Jermyn Street shirtmaker extended its popular 'Personally Pink' Made To Order service. An extensive choice of more than 160 fabrics span long staple Egyptian cottons, Sea Island cottons, linens. and fine cotton poplins in two-fold 100s, 120s, 170s, 200s and 300s. The service also encompasses options for evening and special occasions. The shirts are made in the United Kingdom and delivered back to clients within three weeks. Final details include a choice of buttons as well as monogramming and engraved collar bones. The 'Personally Pink' Made To Order Service is available at Thomas Pink's London flagship store on Jermyn Street as well as in Heathrow T2, Sloane Street, Blomfield Street, Canary Wharf and Selfridges.

A very patriotic brand, Thomas Pink has proudly dressed The British & Irish Lions rugby team, designed an exclusive Team GB Collection for Rio, and ferried many an international guest around central London in its iconic union jack clad pink Morgan.

Today, Thomas Pink is a modern British shirtmaker with over 100 stores worldwide and flagships in London's Jermyn Street, Madison Avenue, New York and Rue Francois Premier, Paris.

About the Acuitas Digital Alliance
Launched in January 2016, the Acuitas Digital Alliance brings together like-minded technology innovators BT, Intel, RetailNext, NexGen Packaging, SATO Global Solutions and Valmarc Corporation, to bring the full benefits of the new digital era across the entire supply chain, all the way to the physical locations where customers do business.  The Acuitas Digital Alliance creates integrated, secure, cloud-based and future-proof solutions for businesses that want to take advantage of big data and the Internet of Things (IoT).  With the right mix of infrastructure, mobile technology, applications and hardware, the Acuitas Digital Alliance can help brands better engage with customers and optimize operations from production to purchase.

For more information, visit www.acuitasdigital.com

About BT
BT's purpose is to use the power of communications to make a better world. It is one of the world's leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in 180 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband, TV and internet products and services; and converged fixed-mobile products and services.  BT consists of six customer-facing lines of business: Consumer, EE, Business and Public Sector, Global Services, Wholesale and Ventures, and Openreach.

For the year ended 31 March 2016, BT Group's reported revenue was £19,042m with reported profit before taxation of £3,029m.

British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.

For more information, visit www.btplc.com

SOURCE BT

Related Links

http://www.btplc.com