Spain Fujitsu collaborates in “Department Store of the Future" Trial

Trial Period:

Mitsukoshi Ginza (Tokyo) flagship store: January 26 to February 11, 2007
Mitsukoshi Sakae (Nagoya) branch: January 30 to February 12, 2007

Sites:

Shiseido and Clé de Peau Beauté counters on the first floor of Mitsukoshi department store's Ginza (Tokyo) flagship store, and the Shiseido counter of the Sakae (Nagoya) branch.

Field trial details:

The following five aspects will be tested as part of the "futuristic department store" trial of the Field Trial for Improving Distribution and Logistics Efficiency through the Use of Electronic Tags, sponsored by METI.

1. Multi-sample display (skincare products)

Seven types of product testers for skincare (lotions, serums, etc.) will be affixed with RFID tags. Customers can wave the tagged products over an electronic tag reader to view detailed product information on a touch-screen terminal. (Site: Shiseido counter)

2. Tester demand forecasting system (makeup products)

Tester stands (receptacles for holding the tester containers) for make-up products (lipsticks, mascaras, etc.) will be embedded with RFID tag readers, so that the number of times that customers sample each tagged make-up tester (49 items) can be counted. This will make it possible to accumulate informative marketing data by ranking which products customers showed most interest in. (Site: Shiseido counter)

3. e-Counseling

Cosmetics counter sales staff will have tablet PCs to view a customer's counseling and purchasing history. The tablet PCs will be equipped with tag readers, which can be used to register product purchases (10 items) and sample distributions (7 types of samples) for a customer by waving the products over the tablet PC, thereby updating the customer's history. 50 customers will be included in this trial. (Site: Clé de Peau Beauté counter)

4. Source tagging/SCM system

Shiseido will affix RFID tags to products (10 items) at its stock center, to be used for packing-list checking and in-store inventory. (Sites: Shiseido Stock Center in Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture near Tokyo, and Clé de Peau Beauté)

5. RFID tags @ home

As it is anticipated that in the future some customers will wish to take products home with RFID tags attached to view detailed product information at their leisure, home uses for RFID tags will also be tested. In the test, virtual home environments equipped with PCs and tag readers will be set up in the stores and 50 customers will gather product information from tagged samples. (Site: In-store virtual home environment)

A. Cosmetic information

"Cosmetic Information" terminals with touch-screen displays and RFID tag readers will be installed. Customers will be able to view word-of-mouth information about the products (12 products at the Ginza store, 23 products at the Sakae store) from other customers, by waving tagged testers over the tag readers.

As the purpose of this trial is to create the impression of an “electronic concierge” that offers information on the entire cosmetics floor, for this test only, RFID tags will be affixed on products from other companies besides Shiseido's Clé de Peau Beauté line. (Site: Near the entrance of the cosmetics floor)

B. Virtual Real-Time Make-up System

A kiosk with a camera, display and RFID tag reader will be installed that will enable customers to view on the display how particular products would look on their face ("virtual real-time make-up") by waving tagged cosmetic products such as lipsticks or eye shadows (19 items) over the tag reader. (Site: Shiseido counter)

• Provide more detailed product information to customers and enhance customer service to increase customer satisfaction, and promote sales and purchase of related products
• Improve efficiency of inventory control and increase productivity by using retail space effectively
• Reinforce product line through deeper analysis of products
• Raise consumer awareness of RFID tags

Mitsukoshi, Ltd.:

Overall coordinator of field trial.

Shiseido Company, Ltd.:

Provides Clé de Peau Beauté products, testers, samples and trial sites for aforementioned trials "1" through "5". Also provides the Virtual Real-Time Makeup System in aforementioned trial "B".

Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Shikoku Systems Limited, Fujitsu Laboratories, Ltd., and PFU Limited:

Developed the system and provides devices for the aforementioned aspects "1" through "5", provides "Cosmetic Information" touch-screen terminals, and conducts overall hypothesis testing for the field trial.

Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.:

Provides RFID tags for the entire field trial.

i style Inc.:
Provides "Cosmetic Information" content in aforementioned supportive trial "A".

FIGURE 1: Multi-sample Display

FIGURE 2: Tester Demand Forecasting System

FIGURE 3: e-Counseling

FIGURE 4: RFID tags@ home

EPR-uk11/07