OVERVIEW
As technology continues to evolve, many retail store owners want to update the signage their shops use to encourage more customers to enter the store and, once they have come inside, to initiate more interaction with them. Zacky’s, an independently owned retail clothing store in downtown Manhattan, opened in 1994, and after almost 15 years, needed a technology makeover. Selling everything from shoes to jeans, Zacky’s is a trendy urban store that accommodates people of all ages and nationalities, specifically catering to its numerous tourist customers. To modernize the store, a digital signage solution was sought to reflect a more progressive atmosphere and connect more with customers.
OBJECTIVE
When store owner Joseph Joseph began to brainstorm an update for Zacky’s, he had a few guidelines in mind. First, he wanted to take advantage of the two spacious levels of glass windows in the store that face the outside sidewalk in an effort to intrigue potential customers walking by. Additionally, Joseph wanted to improve interaction with customers browsing the store. His ultimate goal was to create a unique installation that would both entertain and educate shoppers while simultaneously creating a “Wow” factor.
“Flat panel displays are already a standard in this industry, so by choosing to update the static and CRT signage, I knew I had to create something innovative and exciting,” Joseph said. “I wanted to take my store to the next level by thinking out of the box and constructing something unique that would really catch people’s attention and draw them into Zacky’s. The goal was to engage customers with stimulating digital signage that they hadn’t seen anywhere else before.” He chose LED Media to create the digital signage solution for his store, and brought in more than 70 displays from NEC Display Solutions to achieve his vision.
DESCRIPTION
Joseph worked with an architect to design the layout, and in their discussions, formulated an arrangement in which the new displays could be controlled as either individual units or as a group. This function would provide Joseph with the flexibility he needed to manage content appropriately, such as categorizing store departments or synchronizing displays storewide for sales, branding and promotions.
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| Zacky’s digital displays also are able to show customers’ pictures and photos. |
Once inside, shoppers are engaged by music videos displayed on 22-inch NEC AccuSync LCD224WXM-BK monitors, which are mounted back-to-back and angled down from the ceiling at 45-degree angles for easy viewing. The front window video wall and various displays along the store’s walls and checkout area are comprised of 46-inch NEC MultiSync LCD4620 displays. These monitors allow customer interaction with dynamic store content, such as vendor promotions, product information and daily sales. The displays also flash vendor content and advertisements, while categorizing the store’s copious inventory.
Additionally, touchscreen displays by the checkout area enable Zacky’s to thank a customer after he or she completes a purchase by having that customer’s country flag displayed alongside a message of gratitude in his or her own native language. Zacky’s also has the ability to take the customer’s photo and display it on the video wall as they exit the store, adding a personalized touch to their experience.
PROBLEMS/CHALLENGES
Prior to February 2009, Zacky’s only used static and CRT signage to intrigue passersby on the sidewalk outside the Manhattan shop. To encourage more customers to enter the store and to also enhance customer interactivity once they were inside, Zacky’s decided to update the storefront and interior with digital displays to reflect a more progressive atmosphere and connect more with customers.
SOLUTIONS
- Digital Video Wall – Catches the eye of people walking outside the shop, converting them from possible customers to realized customers once they enter the store.
- Digital Interior Displays – Play engaging music videos, and also display vendor promotions, product information and daily sales.
- Digital Checkout Touchscreen Displays – Displays a flag that represents the country that the customer checking out is from, as well as a thank-you message shown in the customer’s native language.
RESULTS
“The new installation and updates to the store have received remarkable praise and positive comments, particularly the video wall,” Joseph said. “The store’s trendy, modern environment draws in customers that we may have been missing out on with the outdated signage.”
SOURCE
This case study is based on one published by NEC Display Solutions of America Inc. titled “Zacky’s keeps up with the trends with NEC digital signage” and is republished with permission.
