Samantha Sylvain

Hey Samantha,
Love this topic and I am glad you got to expand from my post. I truly do think Xfinity and version will really have to change their platform since subscription services are widely used and more competitive in pricing. I think if companies like Xfinity/version want to stay in the game, they either need to partner with these companies or drastically lower their prices and opt out of contracts. They would truly need to reposition and rebrand themselves OR just fully focus on offering quick speed internet at a low cost.

I am excited to see the future of television. I wonder if there will be more popular subscription services like Netflix that will take over and completely demolish our normal cable subscriptions. Or will Netflix, Hulu and Amazon buy out Xfinity or Verizon and take them over to rebrand them? The future can only tell us but I am excited to see where it goes.

I prefer shopping online and I have certain stores fixed where I know my size and can get the right fit. Sometimes it’s harder to imagine an outfit in my head and I do wish there was an option to virtually try it. However, I would feel somewhat uncomfortable if I had to upload a picture or turn on a camera to make that happen. When it comes to stores using this technology I think it might be beneficial for times when the stores are crowded (Black Friday or holidays in general). People tend to avoid fitting rooms if the lines are long or just because they are bored trying on clothes. If you try on the clothes you are more likely to buy them. For stores looking to increase their in-store sales, it can prove to be a useful investment. When shopping online the website gives you recommendations for similar items. If the respective store apps showed recommendations when you scanned instore items it would be useful for shoppers to see/order items from their phones.

Hi Samantha,
Whenever I don’t have to go to the store and wait in a line is a WIN for me. I get so much anxiety going into a store and trying to figure out what outfit looks good on me. I hate going to an actual store and shopping now a days when I can easily do it online. I like the idea of being able to try on an outfit from home. That is such a cool AI technology that I think a lot of stores should have, especially now in COVID times. This is a great way for stores to build their customer experience and I am all for this. I have never heard or seen something like this in any of the retail stores by me but I would love to see it makes it way here.
Great Post!

Hi Samantha, since my final project group is tackling Forever 21’s mistakes, your post is super interesting. Also, my previous segment and targeting case assignment focused on Abercrombie & Fitch and how they can improve both their in-store experience as well as their digital presence to better target generation Z customers who show preferences for both types of shopping. You mentioned the smart mirror sensors, which was mentioned as part of an enhanced experience Abercrombie & Fitch stores are planning to implement in the UK. to draw in younger, more tech-savvy consumers. Consumers today, and not just young consumers, expect technology to be an option and for it to save them time or effort. IoT in retail seems like the only solution to meet that expectation for consumers.

Hi Samantha, this is a really interesting post! I know that for me, personally, trying on clothes is the WORST part of the shopping experience and I’d much rather order clothes to be shipped to my house than go out and have to go through the cycle of dressing/undressing at a bunch of different stores. A smart mirror would make that process go by so much quicker and lines at the fitting room would definitely be shorter. I do, however, wonder what some of the implications could be on collecting data on the individual customers as opposed to an overall analysis of consumer behavior. For example, would the mirror be capable of retaining info on repeat/loyal customers? Could it collect data about your own individual purchase habits and make recommendations to you based on what you’ve liked/bought in the past and what’s currently in stock? I definitely think that could be an interesting concept to play around with.

One of my breakout groups entertained the idea of a virtual try-on mirror in one of our class sessions, and I was so impressed by the technology. As impressive as it is, I do not personally think I would buy into it or use it in a store. I love seeing how clothes look on my actual body and will continue to actually go through the process of trying on clothes for as long as I can. Despite my reservations, I can see the appeal of the technology and can see it going far in the retail industry. I have not seen any other forms of IoT in the retail industry… that I can think of right now, although I am sure there are plenty. Great post Sam, it was interesting to learn about a product that I thought I knew, but after learning more I realized I did not know as much as I thought!

Hey Sam!
This was such an interesting read. It’s absolutely baffling to me that Tesla did not consider so many different scenarios when developing their algorithms. Unfortunately, I can’t say I’m surprised with their total lack of consideration with people of color. However, I’m shocked they didn’t take into account emergency vehicles or cars with their flashers on. You’d hope that a multi-billion dollar company would have a diverse team, or at least a system to ensure something as important as emergency vehicles wouldn’t be ignored. I do hope that Tesla is directly affected by their errors so they don’t make grave mistakes like this again. It makes me so angry that half of the population in the US alone is often ignored by AI. Hopefully as people of color continue to impact the AI realm, this will no longer be in issue. Thanks for posting about this!

Hi Samantha,

Interesting read! I’m not at all surprised as I have heard stories of other AI like motion-detecting sinks being unable to detect the hands of people of color. But this is incredibly dangerous. From my perspective, this is what happens when you don’t have diverse voices in the room, glaring issues are missed. It’s unfortunate but many focus on reaching the majority of potential customers, and likely do not consider minority groups. I think in the next few decades this will become a big issue. Check out this article: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2018/03/14/the-us-will-become-minority-white-in-2045-census-projects/. It’s in their best interest to make some changes now.

Great article, Samantha.
I think that Primark is making a wrong move here. I am a huge Primark fan myself and discovered it only months before the pandemic. I had gotten a pair of PJs for only five dollars, and they are of incredible quality. When I got back home, I liked them so much I wanted to grab a pair for my friend who was getting married and figured it would be easy enough to hop online. I was wrong. I mention this to drive the point home that they are missing out on a huge chunk of business by not having a platform where customers can purchase from.
If the company were to introduce a website, I think they would have a significant increase in sales concisely.
However, after the pandemic and what that will hold for Primark, I think people will go back to shopping in person when restrictions are taken down. Still, I believe that they will ultimately do the bulk of their shopping online out of convenience.

Hi Samantha,

Great post! I am guilty of lounge wear on the bottom and a blouse and full face of makeup up top for my Zoom meetings! I have a closet full of clothes still collecting dust! In response to your article, I do think that Primark is … missing the mark! I don’t think this type of model is sustainable. I think it’s easy to say that in-person shopping will increase post-pandemic and it likely may, but I don’t think to pre-pandemic levels especially with so many companies maintaining either a fully remote or hybrid work model. Aside from the convenience element, retail stores do not offer the same wide selection offered online. Unless they pivot to a digital model, I think they will really struggle to maintain a customer base in such a saturated market.

Hey Samantha!

I’m definitely one of the people who has lived in comfort wear for the past year and a half. I love my leggings! I think Lululemon shifted brilliantly and quickly adjusted to the market demand. No one wanted to dress in anything that made them uncomfortable if they didn’t have to! I hope this attitude sticks around for a while.

I’m also a big fan of online shopping – I can feel overwhelmed sometimes at the thought of having to go shop in person. I would much rather have it shipped to my house! I always feel like there’s a wider selection and better deals online too. I think Primark is losing a lot of money if they don’t allow customers to make online purchases. Imagine how many people would purchase from them but simply don’t have access! I hope they plan to make a shift in the future.

Hi Samantha,

Great information in your article! I don’t really think I bought more leisure wear during the pandemic. I had plenty already. But I did not know Primark didn’t have an online store. I have only shopped there a handful of times and sometimes the quality isn’t the best, so I never thought of checking for an online site.

I think they must be missing out on a market of people that would buy from them online. They have affordable, stylish clothing that could be shipped easily. Most stores today have some sort of option to buy online, so why shouldn’t they. It seems like a mistake that has probably been costing them for years.

I do think that they are at least moving in the right direction with having any sort of online presence. Being able to know if they have an item in store could drive more customers to go in and be tempted to buy more. I can understand the thought behind no online store but it just seems like it’s probably losing them more money than it is creating.