Some retailers are creating new in-store experiences
More and more shoppers are buying things online these days, allowing them to avoid aggressive salespeople and long lines at checkout counters. In spite of online convenience, however, there are some items - like clothes - that customers prefer to examine before buying. In light of this, two companies are finding ways to modernize stores and bridge the gap between online and in-store retail.
A software company that also happens to sell designer jeans, Hointer has created a fast and painless shopping experience for its customers. The company is led by Dr. Nadia Shouraboura, a former tech executive at Amazon.
Shoppers walk into a Hointer store and select one of the many pairs of jeans hanging down from bars. Then they point their smartphones of the tag and activate the Hointer app, after which they select the size and press "try on." The app then directs them to a specific dressing room. German-made robots retrieve the desired jeans and deliver them through a chute to the dressing room in about 30 seconds immediately after unwanted pairs of jeans are dropped through another chute, the "outbox," they disappear from the list in the app.
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Purchases at Hointer are made with a swipe of a credit card. And interacting with a salesperson is optional! This allows Hointer to hire fewer people and focus on their ultimate goal: developing technology that supports a retail revolution.
Men's clothing retailer Bonobos has come up with a more personalized shopping experience. Although it is -in fact - an online retailer, Bonobos has decided to open a handful of brick-and-mortar stores called Guideshops. Shoppers make an appointment online before arriving at a Guideshop, where they receive one-on-one attention from a fitting guide.
Because these shops have limited inventories, shoppers aren't able to take home the outfits they select. But guides help shoppers make online purchases before they leave, after which the items will be delivered to customers in one or two days. Following the purchase, the Bonobos customer service database keeps a record of each shopper's size, making future online purchases easier.
While Hointer focuses on convenience, Bonobos Guideshops focus on customer service. But both efforts have one thing in common: giving clothing retailers a new look for the 21st century.
Info Cloud (1)
Teaching Topic: The Art of Lining Up
You know, one thing in life that I absolutely hate is waiting in line.
Or as the British would say, "waiting in a queue."
Me too. Either a line or a queue, it's no fun to wait in one.
And what's even worse than waiting in line, seeing someone "cut in line" or as the British would say, "jump the queue."
Line cutting is considered rude and selfish.
If you cut in line, you'll be regarded as having no manners.
We also need to be aware of how people line up.
Sometimes in a bank, post office, pharmacy, or airport, there might be several service points for customers.
But instead of forming a separate line in front of each of the service points, everyone just waits in one single line.
And then, when a service point opens up, the next person in line can leave the line and go to that service point.
That's right. In places like airport immigration or check-in counters, there's often a sign that says, "Please wait here for the next available agent."
And, that's where you should wait.
When a service point opens up, the agent would either call you out, or wave for you to go up to him or her.
Info Cloud (2)
Teaching Topic: Less vs. Fewer
Yesterday, we talked about how people line up in America.
And, one place that you'll often see lines of people is in the supermarket.
Hmm huh...
Now, there is a way to move faster than others in the supermarket checkout lines.
Use the express lane.
Grocery stores often have a sign to identify this lane, and it reads, "Ten items or less."
But, that's just wrong.
At least from a grammatical standpoint.
The sign should say, "Ten items or fewer."
Why is that Steve?
Because items are individual things.
They're countable things.
And when we deal with countable nouns, like apples, frozen chickens, soda bottles, and carrots, we should use the word "fewer", not "less."
And, when we deal with uncountable mass nouns like, water, heat, (and) money, we should use "less."
I have less money than you.
But I have fewer bills in my billfold than you.
So, as you can see friends, the words "fewer" and "less" are commonly confused in English, even to native English speakers.
But we hope you'll be less confused and make fewer mistakes after today's lesson.
Grammar Gym
in light of: considering : because of
- In light of this, two companies are finding ways to modernize stores....
- In light of the investigation, witnesses have been asked not to say anything to the media.
- In light of the recent discoveries in the laboratory, scientists are positive they can find a cure for the rare disease.
Language Lab
modernize 使現代化
to make (something) modern and more suited to present styles or needs
- The bank did a great modernizing its customer service system.
這家銀行在課服系統的現代化上有很好的成效
- The company needs to modernize if it wants to stay competitive.
如果這家公司想要保持競爭力，就必須現代化
bridge the gap (idiom)消除隔閡或分歧
- The policy was designed to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.
這個政策是要設計來彌補富人與窮人之間的差異
- The book talks about ways to bridge the generation gap.
這本書討論如何消除代溝
activate v.啟動
to make (something) active or more active: such as a : to cause (a device) to start working
b chemistry : to cause (a chemical reaction or natural process) to begin
- The security system has already been activated.
保全系統已經啟動了
- You need to enter your PIN code in order to activate your credit card.
你必須輸入個人密碼，才能將信用卡開卡
chute n.陡坡道斜槽滑道
/ˈʃu:t/
a narrow tube or passage that things and people go down or through
- There is a chute in the building for the residents to throw away their garbage.
公寓中，有個讓住戶丟垃圾的滑道
- One of the emergency chutes on the air plane was jammed.
飛機的其中一個緊急滑道卡住了
- The laundry chute in the hotel goes directly down to the laundry room.
旅館的衣物滑道直接通到洗衣房
swipe n.刷信用卡的動作
to pass (a credit card, ATM card, etc.) through a machine that reads information from it
- We just one swipe of my credit card, half a month's salary was gone.
我的信用卡輕輕一刷，半個月的薪水就沒了
- Swipe your card for authorization, and then your can enter the office.
刷卡經過認證後，就可以進入辦公室了
brick-and-mortar adj.實體的
used to describe a traditional store or business that is in a building instead of on the Internet
- Some customers still insist on shopping in brick-and-mortar stores.
有些顧客還是堅持在實體的店購物
- The online stores gradually lured customers away from brick-and-mortar retailers.
網路商店逐漸吸引顧客離開實體的零售商
inventory n.存貨、存貨清單
all the goods in a shop [= stock]
- The store has a large inventory of canned food.
這家商店的罐頭食品存貨非常充裕
- The inventory of unsold cars can last at least three months.
未售出車輛的總數，至少可以再賣三個月
a list of all the things in a place;
- The manager asked me to make an inventory of supplies at our office.
經理要我列出我們辦公室補給品清單
database n.資料庫、數據庫
a collection of pieces of information that is organized and used on a computer
- The sales department spent weeks building a database of our customers' preferences.
銷售部門花了幾個禮拜時間，建立了我們顧客偏好的資料庫
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