SoluM does retail ifself: the retail technology provider has opened its first Kiside flagship store this week at the Nord-West-Zentrum in Frankfurt am Main. Under this name, SoluM is selling a curated range of Korean beauty products whilst simultaneously demonstrating its retail technologies. The company is taking this step to raise awareness of the Kiside concept in Europe and to develop it further.
Kiside acts as a platform that selects suitable Korean cosmetics brands, develops a market positioning for them and places them in appropriate distribution channels. To this end, SoluM provides its digital store technologies, which are designed to ensure a unique shopping experience and efficient operations. The company markets the concept worldwide through a partnership model with retail companies and local operators.
The company states that it has so far gone live at over 59,000 locations across 36 countries via more than 45 distribution partners, primarily as a shop-in-shop solution or via pop-up stores. In France, local partner Maison Kosane operates a sales outlet in Parisian department store Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche and has announced the opening of its own flagship store. Operating company of the Frankfurt store is SoluM partner Evoluck GmbH, based in Oberursel.
Technology shapes the customer journey
SoluM’s technologies are designed to help customers discover new brands and find products that suit their needs. Shelf-edge displays are intended to convey the brand story directly at the shelf and highlight unique product features. Electronic shelf labels (ESLs) provide information on individual items and their prices. Additionally, they are designed to facilitate centralised management.
Large-format e-paper displays serve as additional touchpoints to engage with customers. Those are designed to showcase beauty brands’ campaigns and generate additional retail media revenue for the store operator.
AI-powered skin analyses planned
In future, the Frankfurt store plans to offer its visitors an AI-powered skin analysis as well. Using a tablet positioned by the shelf, customers will be able to assess the condition of their skin. They will then receive recommendations for suitable skincare products from the Korean range. An LED light on the suggested product will then flash, indicating its location on the shelf.
The operating company expects that, with modern retail technology, they will be able to bring trendy Korean beauty brands to German customers more quickly: “We expect that SoluM’s technologies will make it easier to find products and make our store operations more efficient,” explains Evoluck CEO Min Kyung Kim.
