SK-II Future X Smart Store at CES
It’s not a secret that beauty companies want to bring high-tech solutions to your face. From $200 treatments to moisturizers and sunscreens— can you really tell what is working versus a placebo? Whether you think skincare is a scam or essential self-care, chances are you want to make sure whatever you’re doing is actually working. Now brands are using tech and looking for ways to give customers more feedback and offer products that are more personalized and easier to ditch if they’re not actually working.
At the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Japanese skincare brand SK-II introduced the "beauty store of the future." The concept of a seamless “phygital” retail environment where visitors can explore immersive, personalized mixed media experiences that merge the physical and digital to learn about their skin in a way never possible before.
Think of it as a unique skincare experience for each visitor, harnessing emerging technologies. Powered by the latest and greatest tech that include state-of-the-art facial recognition, computer vision, Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) technology augmented by SK-II’s proprietary Skin Science and Diagnostics innovation.
The journey begins with the “The Art of You”, a large-scale digital wall that reads visitor’s facial expressions as well as head, eye and mouth movements. Each expression correlates to a different color scheme, while eye blinks trigger energy lines to pass across the screen, generating custom art piece, a unique backdrop for insta-perfect shots.
You can also look forward to a unique skin analysis experience with a reinvention of SK-II’s iconic Magic Ring skin analysis. Unlike typical skin scans which require direct facial contact, visitors can get their skin analyzed comfortably and remotely while sitting in individual booths. An interactive skincare wall unlocks your skin analysis results with a mere read of their face. Visitors can also enjoy a personalized product browsing experience via a responsive digital interface at the Smart Beauty Bar and learn how they can achieve crystal clear skin. If visitors wish to purchase products, they can head to a unique projection mapping table that tracks their hand motions and allows them to add products real time into their digital shopping cart with a simple hand wave.
The Smart Packaging That Connects You
In addition to the immersive skincare shopping experience, the Future X Smart Store also offers the new Facial Treatment Essence Smart Bottle.
SK-II’s signature product, SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, has over 90% PITERA™, the miracle ingredient discovered over 38 years ago that has been helping users all over the world achieve crystal clear skin.
For the first time ever, the brand’s best-seller receives a new packaging feature that harnesses the Internet of Things (IoT) through a companion app that enhances users’ SK-II skincare regimen in the comfort of their own homes. Visitors can witness this innovation on display at the store.
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The Future of Beauty Retail
The Future X Smart Store by SK-II signifies the brand’s first foray into retail innovation and the start of a global transformation to connect with a new generation of consumers who are yearning for more meaningful experiences with the brands they know and trust.
Looking back to 2016, to find beauty tech at the Consumer Electronics Show, I had to look hard and trek to different areas to find one or two devices. At CES 2019, things had changed quite a bit.