Marks & Spencer today announces that it will become the first retailer in Europe to trial the use of a virtual sales assistant. It is also rolling out NCR FastLane™ self-check out tills to a further eight stores this autumn following the success of the initial three store trial, making it the largest self-checkout installation in the UK.
The virtual sales assistant, created by Haptek and displayed on a NCR kiosk, will be trialled at Marks & Spencer's Metro Centre store in Gateshead and will be used in conjunction with the NCR self-checkout tills, branded 'SCOT', already in place.
Haptek's technology allows the creation of a fully animated 3D image called an 'Avatar' which is based on a real life person, in this case, Lisa Brand, Food Manager at Marks & Spencer's Metro Centre in Gateshead.
'Lisa', brought to life by a motion detector as customers walk past the self-checkout area, will encourage more customers to use the already successful SCOTs. She will be able to guide customers through the self-checkout process and answer various questions through the use of a fully interactive touch screen.
Ralph Marshall, Head of Store Systems at Marks & Spencer, commented: "We are always looking at ways to improve customer service through the use of technology and the SCOT tills have proved particularly effective in doing this.
"The trial of the Avatar checkout assistant will not only enable us to take the self-checkout concept to the next level, in conjunction with the SCOT rollout to eight more stores, but will further enable staff to focus on more value-added services."
The 'Avatar' checkout assistant is unique as it allows the creation of a photo-realistic 3D creation, which can speak and interact with customers. Haptek avatars are able to display a number of facial expressions as well as gestures, and can be tailored to speak with regional accents. Because of this, customers feel they are interacting with something a little more personal than just a computer." said Derek Taylor, sales and marketing director at KnowledgeView, distributors of Haptek technology outside of the US.
Lisa Brand, Food Manager at Marks & Spencer's Metro Centre in Gateshead, said: "I am really delighted to be involved in this exciting concept and believe that the Avatar will make a big difference to our customers, especially those who are keen to use the SCOT tills but are reluctant to ask staff for help."
Notes to editors:
1. Haptek was founded in 1995 and is a California-based company. Haptek created the world's first computer-based artificial human and has an installed user-base of 6 million worldwide. It is represented internationally by UK-based KnowledeView.
2. KnowledgeView provides end-to-end news content management solutions in addition to Haptek technology. It is headquartered in the UK with offices in the US and the Middle East.
3. NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a leading global technology company helping businesses build stronger relationships with their customers. NCR's ATMs, retail systems, Teradata data warehouses and IT services provide Relationship Technology™ solutions that maximize the value of customer interactions. Based in Dayton, Ohio, NCR (http://www.ncr.com/) employs approximately 29,600 people worldwide.
For further information please contact:
Bella Pagdin Marks & Spencer Tel: 020 7268 1967
Derek Taylor KnowledgeView Tel: 07802 750 516
Giovanna Puma NCR Press Department Tel: 020 7725 8253
Michaela Hopkins Brunswick Group Ltd Tel: 020 7404 5959
