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Wal-Mart Digital Makeup Trial: It’s the Inventory, Stupid

Written by Evan Schuman
May 18th, 2010
Wal-Mart this month quietly began a 10-store trial of a cosmetics system—called the Wal-Mart virtual mirror—that uses a barcode reader and a digital camera for the virtual application of makeup. What's interesting in this 90-day trial are the ROI benefits beyond mere increased sales, such as reduced shrink (no need to throw out lipstick after a test), better availability of product and some natural social-shopping benefits via E-mail.

The trial is using Sprint CDMA for data connectivity, which made it easier for Wal-Mart to do the tests. Sprint CDMA didn't require any of the test systems to interact with the chain's LAN, thereby bypassing questions such as "Do I want to put in a separate WiFi network in the stores? With this, all we have to worry about is power," said one person involved in the trial.

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Posted in CRM, In-Store, IT Strategy/Industry, Payment Systems, Premium Content, RFID, Security/Fraud
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