As well as being able to shop for shoes at Schuh stores, these destinations also serve as places for consumers to immerse themselves in a location-based game developed by Google's Niantic Labs. Ingress uses the technology of Google Maps to take shoppers on a journey through environments. The app is styled to bring an alternate reality to life, meaning that the physical world around players is enhanced with content that's only visible through the app. Players are turned into explorers that must venture to parks, historical sites, specific pieces of artwork and now, over 100 Schuh stores in Ireland and the UK.
Schuh is the first to collaborate with Google for the location-based Ingress, meaning that you can expect a blend of more technology, gaming and shopping to come in the future.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Location-based Gaming
- Opportunity to develop games, apps and services that use real-life locations as part of the gameplay.
- Augmented Reality Experiences
- Opportunity to develop apps and services that overlay digital content onto physical environments to create immersive experiences.
- Retail-tech Collaborations
- Opportunity for retailers to collaborate with tech companies to enhance customer experiences in-store.
Where This Applies
- Retail
- Opportunity for retailers to utilize technology to create immersive experiences that integrate shopping with virtual reality gaming and other types of entertainment.
- Gaming
- Opportunity to develop location-based games that utilize real-world locations in the gameplay.
- Tech
- Opportunity for tech companies to collaborate with retailers to develop innovative in-store experiences using location-based gaming and augmented reality technology.
