H&M Group is rolling out a pilot of several new tech-enabled in-store shopping solutions at COS stores in the U.S., including new payment and checkout options, personalized styling facilitated by smart mirrors and upgraded delivery and return options.
COS (which stands for Collection of Style) is owned by H&M and currently operates 13 locations across the U.S. The first store to pilot the new suite of solutions is the Beverly Hills, Calif., location, with additional locations getting the upgrades later this year.
“Throughout 2022 we will test a new frictionless and personalized shopping experience — from the fitting room to checkout,” said Alan Boehme, CTO at H&M Group in a statement. “This initiative is a natural next step in H&M Group’s long history of innovation, where we use technology to discover new ways of enjoying fashion.”
Among the tech solutions set to debut at COS Beverly Hills are fitting rooms equipped with smart mirrors. The mirrors recognize the products brought into the fitting room and can offer personalized product and styling recommendations. On the store floor, other types of smart mirrors are available for virtual try-on and styling.
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H&M also is testing “new checkout solutions and enhanced, more sustainable delivery and return options,” but didn’t provide additional details on what those offerings might look like.
“We are developing and imagining how COS retail spaces can inspire our customers, both now and for the future,” said Lea Rytz Goldman, Managing Director of COS in a statement. “Our ambition is to pilot new technologies that allow us to meet and exceed our customers’ in-store shopping expectations. With COS Beverly Hills, we have seen firsthand how our customer experience can be elevated with tech enhancements.”
News of the COS tech rollout comes the same week that Amazon opened its first Style fashion store (also in LA), in which digital product recommendations and high-tech fitting rooms feature prominently.
