RBTE 2018: M-Cube & BT present The Digital Store
News & Events
RBTE (Retail Business Technology Expo) is the most important retail and hospitality event in Europe. M-Cube was a special guest for the two-day event in London and its stand was singled out by the BBC.
M-Cube, which specialises in multimedia integration, in-store music and digital signage, attended RBTE 2018 as a BT Global Services partner and designed a stand based on the concept of THE DIGITAL STORE. The highly multifunctional and multimedia format was designed by M-Cube’s Italian team to blend all aspects of communication and interaction. Powered by smart technology, THE DIGITAL STORE is concrete proof of how to provide more information throughout the customer journey, with a combination of front-of-house and in-store experiences.
RBTE 2018: to the rhythm of the in-store music
Music is an important feature of any store: as well as making time spent in the store pleasant for both staff and customers, it adds an emotional element to the brand identity. For RBTE 2018, M-Cube presented a playlist for each and every sector and brand. An interactive console made it possible to browse a vast musical selection with different examples of mood and rhythm, selected for the Fashion, Luxury and Retail sectors.
Refreshment area: quality coffee for all
The concept of hospitality increasingly merges with the principles of retail. M-Cube demonstrated this at RBTE 2018 by recreating an ILLY Caffè store in a celebration of pleasure and flavour. Thanks to a partnership agreement with ILLY, M-Cube proposed a menu board with the brand’s corporate identity and ILLY staff were on hand to serve different types of Italian coffee throughout the fair.
Grocery area: the most innovative digital formats
Digital signage was the star of both indoor and outdoor communication at RBTE 2018. The M-Cube stand made a good impression with the new Samsung LED Wall 1.5, where content promoting the grocery area positively shone in high definition. Other composite solutions also enjoyed great success. The six-screen Monitor Array, for example, was confirmed as an effective tool for presenting exhibited products as well as upselling and cross-selling. Promoting related products through tasty recipe and plating suggestions in the grocery area demonstrated that digital signage is highly functional and effective within various retail sectors. The M-Cube digital store also exhibited the Electronic Shelf Labels, available in various formats and designs to meet any retail and/or product requirements. The advantages of this type of solution? They run on battery (no power supply) and can be managed remotely from the company HQ or directly from the store via CMS. This makes it quick and easy to manage prices as well as to launch promotions and discounts in minutes, which in turn automatically updates prices rendering on-site intervention unnecessary.
Fashion area: increasingly smart and interactive
We know by now that interactive kiosks improve in-store interaction by multiplying the opportunities for engagement. At RBTE 2018, M-Cube redesigned the whole model and revealed an interactive kiosk immersed in the Internet of Things. This makes the solution multi-functional with several different options that use RFID tags and QR codes for a new generation of communication:
- Place & Learn. The key here is RFID technology. An RFID tag is affixed to each product: when it is placed on a shelf with an RFID reader, product information immediately appears on both the monitor and the touchscreen. A web-based interface makes it possible to browse the information in the same way customers would use an e-commerce site, recreating the online experience in-store. Customers can check which sizes and colours are available and see related products.
- Product Comparison. Univocal identification allows the client to manage information for every single product, as well as to cross-reference with other information relevant to sales and communication. Tagged products can be placed on the smart shelf to pull up detailed data that makes comparison with other products extremely intuitive, as shown in the BBC video.
- Air Mouse. QR codes straight to your smartphones. Customers access a product page by activating a link downloaded via QR code. Their phone becomes a pointer on the display and, when directed to a product, allows them to receive information directly to their device (see the demonstration video at the bottom of the page).
The stand was completed with an unusual LED screen around the bottom of the fashion & beauty area wall: a Samsung 1.5 with an irregular shape, which made the iridescent surface even more effective. Another stand-out solution at the M-Cube stand was the Maxi LED Wall, Samsung 2.5: its peculiar shape and size made it one of the most interesting attractions at the fair.
Maria Elena Romanelli, M-Cube Digital Engagement
