Mining data with mannequins

Italian mannequin maker Almax caused a stir two years ago with its Eye See mannequins, which use facial recognition technology. In one store, Almax's mannequins alerted managers to a regular spike in Asian customers coming through a particular entrance after 5pm. When management moved two Asian shop assistants to that location at that time, sales rose 12 percent. This is not just a one-off example.

According to KPMG research published in ConsumerCurrents, retailers are using a host of technologies to follow where customers go inside their stores and how they behave. Information can be generated from any or all of the following: aisles and door sensors, beacons (which may require users to install compatible apps), mannequins, video cameras, wi-fi and bluetooth-based location triangulation.

Data can be presented in easy-to-read formats, such as heat maps, in real time and has helped retailers reposition sales staff, identify the real prime locations in-store and track whether local promotions attract new shoppers. The report says the technology works even if the customer has switched off her smartphone.

Such data can also be used to adjust opening times, staffing levels, sales techniques and store layout to boost revenues.