Neiman Marcus Introduces Mobile App Users To "The Shazam Of Shopping"

By Megan Zielinski, contributing writer

Neiman Marcus is incorporating unique image identification technology provided by Slyce into its mobile app, allowing customers to find similar items from Neiman Marcus inventory based on photos of everyday inspiration.

Using “Snap. Find. Shop.,” customers simply “snap” a photo of handbags, purses, and clutches to fashionable stilettos, flats, and sneakers that catches their eye. Whether it’s a bag pictured in a chic magazine or a pair of bright blue heels worn by a stranger in a coffee shop—using their phone camera, customers can take pictures and anticipate to find equivalent items as the 3-D image search matches the pictures to Neiman Marcus’ choices. Customers can shop directly from there as they receive links to purchase the lookalike items from the retailer’s website. In the future, users will have the opportunity to use the visual search technology toward dresses, tops, and more as Neiman Marcus announced they plan to include more style categories. The new app feature relates to Shazam, a mobile app that enables users to search for songs that are comparable to a song they have heard and appreciate. 

"Today, most online shopping begins with search - either through key words or navigating filters, and as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words." Says Wanda Gierhart, CMO, Neiman Marcus Group. Gierhart states that the new visual search included into the app removes any hurdles during the mobile shopping experience.  “Snap. Find. Shop. is a revolutionary way to service our customers at any time and any place."

With over four out of five (87 percent) smartphone and tablet users shopping from their wireless devices, an increase by 8 percent from 2012—the fashion retailer is creating a seamless and enjoyable shopping experience with the integration of “Snap. Find. Search.” Young customers make up the largest percentage of smartphone owners—as of this year, 85 percent of millennials between the ages of 18-24 own smartphones, up from 77 percent in 2013. Over 86 percent of consumers ages 25-34 are smartphone owners, an increase from 80 percent last year. Over 92 percent of young shoppers state that real-time product availability plays a major role in purchasing decisions. With “Snap. Find. Search.,” customers are instantly revealed items from Neiman Marcus’ complete inventory. Neiman Marcus is particularly focusing on enhancing and updating the capabilities of the mobile app while continuously engaging with mobile millennial and young adult shoppers—the age group that the brand’s merchandise is directed toward.