Shopping straight out of the fitting rooms: H&M’s answers to the cumbersome shopping experience.

As a student, I generally do not go shopping often, however when I am downtown and walk by the storefront of H&M, I always find room in my budget to “splurge” on their cheap and thrifty fashion items. There’s something inexplicably satisfying about paying $10 for a pair of pants when they’re on sale at H&M. However, as any H&M shopper will contest, the lines are always endless. H&M’s new “state-of-the-art” Times Square store, suggests that innovation is important in even the most successful of businesses.

The check-out tills installed in the fitting rooms allow you to pay for an outfit ensemble as soon as you try it on and wear it out of the store. It has marketing and financial implications for the clothing store. In essence, it heralds new era in fast and easily accessible fashion, and therefore it targets a whole segment of customers who do not want to make shopping a time-consuming activity. My insight as a customer leads me to the realization that this new till system also encourages impulse shopping. Therefore having a positive impact on H&M’s revenue streams. All the customers who could potentially change their mind before reaching the till (and waiting 20 minutes in line no less!), are therefore encouraged to buy before they have time to contemplate and evaluate their buying decision.

That sounds more malicious than I meant it to be, in all honesty H&M should be lauded for wanting to service their customer’s needs and wants. Now shopping will be as easy as any other activity in today’s streamlined world.