“Macy’s On Call” unites Satisfi’s
communications platform with IBM Watson cognitive technology to
create an in-store mobile companion that assists in servicing
customer needs; the initial phase of the pilot program is underway
at 10 locations nationwide
Today, Macy’s (NYSE:M) announced the pilot of “Macy’s On Call,”
a mobile web tool that allows customers to interact with an
AI-powered platform via their mobile devices. “Macy’s On Call” taps
IBM Watson, via Satisfi, an intelligent engagement platform, to
deliver a first-of-its-kind solution that will enhance the customer
in-store shopping experience at 10 test locations nationwide.
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Macy's pilots IBM's Watson in partnership
with Satisfi for in-store, personalized shopping companion (Photo:
Business Wire)
The mobile companion, accessed via a mobile browser, allows
customers to input natural language questions regarding each
participating store’s unique product assortment, services and
facilities and receive a customized response to the inquiry. There
are a number of ways that customers may request information. For
example, a customer could type, “Where are the women’s shoes?” or
type a combination of brand and product inquiry such as “I.N.C
dress,” and they will receive the relevant response and location of
that product in the store.
Since each Macy’s store is different, and consumers increasingly
prefer mobile platforms, “Macy’s On Call” is providing shoppers
with a helpful tool to get information fast as they shop and
navigate the store. The system will evolve as it learns more about
each store’s customers. This is already evident in the popular
searches category, which highlights the most asked questions,
responses to which can be accessed at the click of the appropriate
button.
As part of the pilot, Macy’s is also incorporating a Spanish
language feature to serve a broader subset of its customer base in
select stores.
“At Macy’s, we remain focused on identifying, testing and
supporting new ideas and approaches that will help elevate service
to our customers through technology. With an eye towards
innovation, we are moving fast to test and scale up pilot programs
that help enhance their experience with us,” said Peter Sachse,
Macy’s chief growth officer. “This program, in partnership with
Satisfi and leveraging the power of IBM Watson, will help us
explore new ways to engage one-on-one with customers in-store,
providing them another level of service right at their
fingertips.”
“Bringing Watson into a retail store setting presents an
opportunity to engage with the consumer on a variety of levels.
This particular use case takes Watson beyond helping consumers
evaluate purchasing decisions, and influences another, equally
important aspect of the in-store experience - ease of use in
locating products, facilities and services,” said David Kenny,
general manager of IBM Watson. “As more developer partners like
Satisfi continue to build with the technology, we see Watson more
frequently being delivered into the hands of consumers, and we’re
looking forward to learning more from this pilot with Macy’s and
Satisfi.”
“The entire Satisfi team is delighted to be working with such an
iconic brand as Macy's to leverage the power of IBM Watson on this
exciting project. The combination of Satisfi's location-based,
intelligent engagement software, with the cognitive learning
capabilities of IBM’s Watson, has helped us build a powerful and
comprehensive tool to enhance the in-store shopping environment,”
said Don White, Satisfi’s chief revenue officer. “Macy's has been a
great partner for this project because of their commitment to
exploring new technology that can elevate one-on-one interactions
with customers, creating a more relevant and personal experience
for them.”
Accessed via macys.com/storehelp, the pilot of “Macy’s
On Call” answers store navigation details provided by department,
brand and product category, as well as provides insight into the
unique in-store services available at each test location - from My
Stylist@Macy’s personal shoppers to Buy Online, Pickup in Store
counters, and store facilities, including restrooms. The engagement
is conducted through a simple question and answer interface
leveraging Watson’s Natural Language Classifier, that is helping
Macy’s learn more about the features and services that most
resonate with shoppers. Additionally, in the Miami-area pilot
locations, the interface is available for customers in Spanish, via
Watson Language Translation, as Macy’s tests language capabilities,
functionality and consumer interest in engagement via preferred
languages.
Ten store locations were chosen representing a cross section of
Macy’s store portfolio. Five of the locations serve as the base
learning stores, with the Watson implementation deployed solely as
a customer led self-serve initiative. The other five locations have
an enhanced layer of associate support available to complement the
virtual interactions. At these locations, customers can input a
request for face-to-face engagement with a Macy’s specialist
associate.
While Watson technology can power interactions in a number of
ways, the first phase of this pilot program is applying Watson’s
natural language capabilities in a physical retail environment,
focused on three customer centric categories – each store’s unique
products, services and layout. Satisfi accesses Watson’s technology
from the cloud and this model is helping facilitate ongoing
learnings and improvements to the solution. As the program
progresses, Macy’s aims to closely study and gauge other potential
uses of the technology, with the goal of implementing Watson’s full
cognitive dialog capabilities in future phases.
At all 10 test locations customers are encouraged to visit
macys.com/storehelp on their
mobile browser to engage with the in-store companion. The first
phase of Macy’s On Call recently launched and is expected to run
through late fall of 2016.
“Macy’s On Call” pilot stores are as follow:
Base learning locations:
Macy’s Montgomery – Bethesda, MD
Macy’s Woodbridge Center – Woodbridge, NJ
Macy’s Clackamas Town Center – Portland, OR
Macy’s Santa Anita – Arcadia, CA
Macy’s Miami International – Miami
Connect @ Macy’s locations with additional
sales associate support:
Macy’s Short Hills – Short Hills, NJ
Macy’s Mall of Georgia – Buford, GA
Macy’s Lenox Square – Atlanta
Macy’s Aventura – North Miami
Macy’s Roosevelt Field – Garden City, NY
About Macy’s
Macy's, the largest retail brand of Macy's, Inc. (NYSE:M),
delivers fashion and affordable luxury to customers at
approximately 734 locations in 45 states, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico and Guam, as well as to customers in the U.S. and more
than 100 international destinations through its leading online
store at macys.com. Via its stores, e-commerce site, mobile and
social platforms, Macy's offers distinctive assortments including
the most desired family of exclusive and fashion brands for him,
her and home. Macy's is known for such epic events as Macy's 4th of
July Fireworks® and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade®, as well as
spectacular fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows and
celebrity appearances. Macy's flagship stores -- including Herald
Square in New York City, Union Square in San Francisco, State
Street in Chicago, and Dadeland in Miami and South Coast Plaza in
southern California -- are known internationally and are leading
destinations for visitors. Building on a more than 150-year
tradition, and with the collective support of customers and
employees, Macy's helps strengthen communities by supporting local
and national charities giving more than $69 million each year to
help make a difference in the lives of our customers.
For Macy’s media materials, including images and contacts,
please visit our online pressroom at macys.com/pressroom.
About Satisfi:
Satisfi is a location-based intelligent engagement platform that
combines the speed and accuracy of automation and the personality
of a live person. Using Satisfi, conversion opportunities can be
driven in real-time by capturing customer intentions, sentiments,
questions and needs. The resulting customer engagements enhance the
on-site experience by introducing additional features and bring to
light previously unknown information and insights.
About IBM Watson: Pioneering a New Era of Computing:
Watson represents a new era in computing called cognitive
computing, where systems understand the world the way humans do:
through senses, learning, and experience. Watson continuously
learns from previous interactions, gaining in value and knowledge
over time. With the help of Watson, organizations are harnessing
the power of cognitive computing to transform industries, help
professionals do their jobs better, and solve important
challenges.
As part of IBM’s strategy to accelerate the growth of cognitive
computing, Watson is open to the world, allowing a growing
community of over one million developers, students, entrepreneurs
and tech enthusiasts to easily tap into the most advanced and
diverse cognitive computing platform available today. Hundreds of
clients and partners across six continents and across dozens of
industries actively use Watson. More than 550 are already
commercializing their ideas and over 100 of these partners have
already introduced commercial cognitive enabled apps, products and
services to the market.
For more information on IBM Watson, visit: ibm.com/Watson and
ibm.com/press/watson. Join the conversation at #ibmwatson.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160720005347/en/
Macy’s Media RelationsOrlando Veras,
646-429-7450orlando.veras@macys.comorIBM Watson External
RelationsGabrielle Gugliocciello,
314-494-8715gguglio@us.ibm.com
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