ICA Gruppen’s Oskar Jakobsson gives thumbs up to smart fitting rooms at H&M flagship store in Stockholm

Oskar Jakobsson, Director Customer Solutions at ICA Gruppen, has taken to social media to praise the smart fitting rooms at H&M’s flagship store in Stockholm that opened last week.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: “I sometimes get asked what I recommend or think about digital solutions for retail. For me this is often the wrong question, tech for the sake of technology is always a bad decision. Tech should improve the customer experience, self service should reduce friction, staff tools should improve efficiency and staff experience also.”

He added: “That’s why I was happy to see the smart fitting rooms at H&M Stockholm. I have been a supporter of this solution since I was head of innovation at H&M, we then did the first initial POC and tests so I was extra proud to see it live today.”

“What we found in the initial tests was that in a good implementation they increase customer experience, increase sales, help staff to be more efficient and reduce friction in the entire explore, fit to buy journey.

The solution detects what shoppers bring in through RFID. They can see availability in-store of colours and sizes, send a request to staff to bring new sizes etc. They can also see what matches well and availability online.

Jakobsson commented: “By integrating technology into this space, you can remove lots of the hassle and friction, transform it into a strategic asset that addresses these retail challenges. In the future expand the solution to include personalised, real-time recommendations can improve conversion rates.”

“Better visualisation of different sizes or colours can reduce returns. Enhanced customer data can empower sales associates, potentially reducing staff turnover. Reduce shrinkage. And by overall enhancing the shopping experience, we can drive sales growth.”

“H&M Group has done tests before with different solutions and with different group brands, but this time the solution looks like one from Keonn Technologies. This is in my opinion the best one in the market, fast, clear and easy to use. Anyone interested in smart fitting room should take a look at it since it probably soon will be the dominating standard. Great job H&M and everyone involved.”

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

In-store technology is a key focus area for the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards, which are now closed for entries.

The awards, sponsored by CADS, 3D Cloud, Brightpearl by Sage’s Lightning 50, Business France, and Retail Technology Show 2025, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Key 2024 dates

Friday, 25th October: Award entry deadline 

Tuesday, 29th October: 2024 shortlist revealed

30th October-6th November: Judging days

Thursday, 21st November: Winners announced at the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony, to be held at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London.