SK-II opens ‘shop of the future’ in Shanghai

An SK-II smart store has opened in Shanghai, an enhanced version of the global beauty brand’s technology-packed showcase which opened in Tokyo in May.

The SK-II Future X Smart Store features facial recognition, computer vision, and AI technology augmented by the brand’s proprietary skin science and diagnostics. The store employs an algorithm that supports self-service shopping to provide consumers with a personalised and immersive experience.

The experience begins with a large-scale digital wall that reads visitor’s facial expressions as well as head, eye and mouth movements. Each expression correlates to a different colour scheme, while eye blinks trigger energy lines to pass across the screen.

Visitors can also explore the “Miracle Water” Lab, which offers an immersive experience of how SK-II Facial Treatment Essence works on the skin. They can also use a proprietary skin scan that performs its analysis while customers sit in a booth. An interactive skincare wall will then display a comprehensive analysis of each user’s skin condition, together with a set of tailored recommendations based on the results.

Using a special bracelet designed in cooperation with e-commerce channel One Jingdong, consumers can purchase the products they need by just waving their wrists on a scanner, without the need for a mobile application on-site.

The Shanghai store will also see the debut of the Facial Treatment Essence Smart Bottle, a new packaging feature that interacts with a companion app to enhance consumers’ skincare regimen at home.

CEO Sandeep Seth said the role of retail in driving how consumers experience products in today’s post-digital world is vastly different than when the company started, especially in the rapidly evolving Chinese beauty market.

“In shifting our focus to bring innovation to consumers around the shopping experience versus product technology, SK-II is leading the way to create a new model for how we build and evolve our relationship with our consumers in China and globally.”