Title: Panico Salon: Samsung Display Technology Transforms to an All-Digital Salon of the Future Publish Date: 7.7.2021 Category: Enterprise Customers are beginning to return to brick-and-mortar retail stores after more than a year of social distancing and web purchasing.  Embracing this new reality, local businesses are making innovative changes to provide the best in-store digital experience while maintaining the convenience of online shopping. This is especially true for Panico Salon who has launched the first of its kind beauty store by turning its physical space into a website experience. At their business in Ridgewood, New Jersey, Panico’s unveiled a complete digital takeover featuring Samsung display signage and solutions from the sidewalk to the salon chair.  Each element of this salon focused on creating a personalized experience for the client upon arrival. To mark this transformation of their brick and mortar business, on Friday, June 25 Panico Salon hosted a digital unveiling event and ribbon cutting, hosted owner Jack Panico, Parrish Chapman, Director of Retail Sales, Samsung and Village of Ridgewood Mayor Susan Knudsen, to showcase the new generation of digital signage and solutions integrated across the salon. The open house event educated attendees on the more than 50 Samsung displays throughout the salon and the content management solutions delivered by Fast Sensor, BlueForce, and Samsung’s new MagicINFO 9.0 software.  Together, this collaboration unlocks the ability to gather ROI and data linked to the individual shopping journey of each customer through AI endpoint technology. Chris Mertens, Vice President of Sales, Samsung Display Division, comments on the digital unveiling: “Panico Salon transformed their salon into a digital showroom upgrading their operations to deliver a red carpet experience for their customers”, said Mertens, “while providing their employees with state of the art display solutions to make their job more interactive and productive” Panico’s Vision Jack Panico wanted to recreate the customer experience.  Owning a salon for over 30 years, offering salon and beauty school education both in-store and remote, providing services as the #1 salon educator across New Jersey and the Top 25 in the United States, the time was now to go digital.  Partnering with Samsung and incorporating its first in class Display technology solutions helped Panico bring this vision to life. “Integrating the displays and solutions from Samsung, we are directly connecting with our clientele and providing them tailored, best-in-class services, while providing our stylists the ability to trend data to drive additional services and product sales," said Jack Panico, Owner. “I wanted to ensure my salon became a triple threat.. “one-Thrive as Local Business, two- Provide a White Glove Immersive Experience, and three- Become an Advocate for My Community by leveraging the digital advertising capabilities to help other local businesses promote their services.” The Experience The client arrives at the storefront and is greeted with spectacular window dual-side Samsung displays.  During the check-in process, Samsung’s Flip Display provides an interactive visual tutorial of optional services. Once checked in the Client has the option to go to several stations depending on their service need. If the client wants to color, they enter the fabulous color bar similar to the one you would see in bars and restaurants offering endless options. The amazing 55” digital signage along with a Samsung tablet is used to help select the color style of your choice, while enjoying interactive content. If the client is there for a full lifestyle service, the stylists welcome guests to their personal digital station where they provide a custom experience by individually showcasing trends, styles and data services, while providing the option of driving product sales with expedited purchase and check out. If the client has arrived to make a retail purchase, they are escorted to a Lift and Learn Digital Station, where they can select an item such as a shampoo that triggers the digital signage to display details centered on their area of interest.   If interested, the client can purchase directly from a tablet or explore more options and pricing from a 13 inch display. About the Solutions The content management is provided through Samsung’s MagicINFO 9.0, Fast Sensor, and Blueforce Development which provides content orchestration services on every display. Blueforce receives information and data from Fast Sensor and coordinates content on these display devices in real-time that is based on customer engagement, retail purchases, time spent at each area of the salon, and more. The processed information is then sent to MagicINFO 9.0 where the salon can access the details to adjust on-screen content quickly and seamlessly. Because of these secure and private solutions, if consumers are loitering in front of a piece of merchandise, the software is alerted and automatically flips content and messaging to drive sales and deals, all while having total anonymity and protecting the customer’s personal information. A major advantage Blueforce provides is that it can be utilized with existing in-store investments in sensors and analytics while delivering the same level of service you can expect from its connection with modern-day devices. “As high-end salons like Panico reconsider the services that will improve in-store experiences and drive success in a post-Covid world, understanding Samsung's Connected Customer Journey is paramount to providing an engaging brick and mortar experience,” said Robert O’Leary, FastSensor Vice President of Sales.  “FastSensor provides privacy compliant, physical location data sets to improve in-store experiences, and leverages Samsung digital displays to measure, influence and convert customer behaviors.” “Critical to becoming customer-obsessed and igniting growth in retail is technology and data which fuel the customer experience, while delivering intelligent retail outcomes,” said Michael Helfrich, Blueforce Founder and CEO. “As part of the Samsung solution, Blueforce leverages a variety of in-store sensor data, applies it against AI driven outcomes, and orchestrates focused content and messaging via MagicINFO 9, which is then delivered to Samsung Intelligent Displays to drive transactions, but also enhance the brand relationship with the customer.” The Technology Integration Samsung’s enterprise line up of display signage products and tablets are designated as follows: The VIP styling stations include 32” and 50” displays, with a coordinating mirroring tablet, to provide information directly to the customer on products being used, what services they have invested in the past, and before & after photos of their last salon trip. With the ability to take ‘before’ pictures, confirm current trends, services and hair color applications, customers can also explore services and products recommended to them on the tablet before the appointment closeout. At the end of their experience, they can take an ‘after’ photo and will be sent care instructions, a list of recommended products, be given the ability to post their makeover to social media and even a checkout option making their visit to the chair a one-stop-shop. The Samsung Interactive Display FLIP 55” is used for stylist education and training purposes as it offers interactive presentation functionality and the user can touch and draw on a connected tablet screen. These displays will have embedded video and live broadcast capability as well. 55” Lift and Learn Display will feature products and demo videos on loop. When a product is picked up by a customer, the image on the screen changes to reflect that product and even splits screens when two products are recognized.  If customers prefer to watch this demo on their own device, they will have the option to use the QR code. 13” touch screens on retail shelves in the window space will feature products and demo videos on loop. If a customer wants to purchase products, there is an option to ‘add to cart’ and to create/login a Panico member account. 55” dual in-window displays will hang from the window and feature product imagery, salon information, and demo videos on loop for street traffic and on-site clientele. 55” Pro TV Terrace Edition Outdoor Display is located on the wall of outdoor lanai used to entertain clients between services, stylists during lunch breaks and also serve as a live event space for local community events. With a focus on brand recognition, increased sales and a personalized consumer journey, Panico is leading the way with its technological makeover from Samsung that promises to offer clientele an experience like no other. For more information on Samsung Display Solutions and their ‘Back to Business’ efforts, please visit:  https://www.samsung.com/us/business/solutions/