Zippers might only seem useful for getting into and out of garments but Swedish sportswear brand Houdini is proving otherwise with a connected zipper pull on its One Parka waterproof coat. The NFC-enabled zipper pull lets consumers connect with resources provided by the brand, such as usage and care guides, plus support services and other digital features.
With the zipper pull, the company has the potential to track the lifecycle of individual garments via a cloud-based digital profile from technology provider EON’s Product Cloud platform.
The One Parka is the first product of its kind with the TouchLink NFC zipper developed by fastening manufacturer YKK. With this technology, brands keep connectivity with customers after the initial sale.
What's Driving This Trend
- Connected Zippers
- The use of NFC-enabled zipper pulls in apparel presents opportunities for brands to offer connected experiences and track garments throughout their lifecycle.
- Digital Profiles for Garments
- Cloud-based digital profiles of garments using technology like EON’s Product Cloud platform provide opportunities for brands to track garment lifecycles and offer personalized services to customers.
- Post-sale Customer Connectivity
- Connected zippers and other IoT-enabled apparel technologies provide opportunities for brands to maintain connectivity with customers even after the initial sale of a product.
Who This Affects Most
- Apparel Manufacturing
- Apparel manufacturers can leverage NFC-enabled zippers and other IoT-enabled technologies to offer connected experiences and track garment lifecycles, potentially increasing customer engagement and satisfaction.
- Iot Technology Providers
- IoT technology providers such as EON’s Product Cloud platform can offer apparel manufacturers the means to create digital profiles for garments, increasing the value of their offerings and opening up new revenue streams.
- Fastening Manufacturing
- Fastening manufacturers like YKK can innovate with technologies like TouchLink NFC zippers, enabling apparel brands to offer new connected features and increase customer loyalty.
