NEW YORK: Xbox One today launches The Mall, an exciting new eCommerce store that will rid shoppers of the nightmare of long queues and busy shopping centres, giving people access to their favourite brands from the comfort of their own sofa. This next generation shopping experience is now available to the tens of millions of Xbox One users. It allows users to select a garment and try it on through Microsoft’s Kinect motion tracking camera and The Mall’s virtual wardrobe technology. They can then purchase it in just a few taps with the innovative PowaTag app.
It is being launched by Microsoft Ventures alumni Von Bismark, a Dublin based company who are pioneers of eCommerce for the TV.
Von Bismark CEO Eoghan O’Sullivan comments: “The Mall on Xbox One is the first giant step in our vision to create more beautiful, physically engaging ecommerce experience, delivered through the largest piece of visual real estate you own – the living room TV. The Xbox One is the perfect device to launch on – it’s incredibly powerful, built for smooth interaction and with the Kinect camera we can bring you as close to physically trying on the clothing as you will ever get when shopping online.”
Xbox Users will be able to easily browse through stores on The Mall, select an outfit, and then stand in front of their television to try it on in real time.
Sean Love, Microsoft Director of Xbox App, adds: “Xbox has been a pioneer in bringing rich interactive TV experiences to the living room and we are delighted to lead the next wave of innovation on the big screen with shopping. I am very excited about working with Von Bismark to bring those experiences to life.”
The Mall is also being launched with an exclusive payments partnership with mobile commerce experts Powa Technologies. The leading firms have teamed up so that Xbox One users will also be able to purchase products in the simplest way possible – through PowaTag. The revolutionary mobile payment app securely links your credit card and shipping details to the product on screen, allowing for a one touch purchase. The platform completes the purchase using pre-entered information, meaning shoppers will not have to fill out long forms using their Xbox One controller each time they make a purchase. The app is available for free download from the iTunes and Google Play stores.
Martin Hucker, Head of Channel Sales at Powa Technologies, comments: “Our aim at Powa Technologies has always been to give consumers a next-generation shopping experience, so we are delighted to partner with Microsoft and Von Bismark for The Mall. By purchasing with PowaTag, shoppers are able to make seamless purchases in a quick, efficient way.”
The Mall is going live in the US with a number of great brands, picked for their suitability for users, including SoccerPro, Style PB, Grayers and Go2Games, with a host of new brands coming online over the coming months.
About Von Bismark
Von Bismark is a Dublin and London based eCommerce company and a Microsoft Ventures Alumni. Founded in 2012 to bring more physical eCommerce experiences to online shoppers via the living room TV, the Xbox One is the first device The Mall store is deploying on with plans to bring The Mall to other smart and connected TV devices in 2016 & 2017. Von Bismark were one of the first companies globally to develop virtual wardrobe technology based on Microsoft’s Kinect motion tracking camera, with hundreds of thousands of people using the platform to date.
About Powa Technologies
Powa Technologies designs and builds technology for retail. With a suite of three products – PowaWeb (the SaaS cloud-based ecommerce platform), PowaPOS (the POS device with integrated cloud-based services) and PowaTag (the “Shop Beautiful” mobile payments app) – they’re creating seamless customer experiences across all sales channels, both online and offline. The company is currently active with major brands across three continents, and remains focused on becoming the leading global solutions provider for interactions between businesses and consumers.
