Europe



A clothing store in St Helens has become the first in the UK to have a “digital clothes rail” which hows how popular different items are on social media.

Tyrers department store in St Helens which has become the first in the UK to have a "digital clothes rail" which shows how popular different items are on social media.

Tyrers department store in St Helens which has become the first in the UK to have a “digital clothes rail” which shows how popular different items are on social media. Image by Mikael Buck/O2 Business/PA Wire

The Tyrers department store in St Helens has installed the rail as part of a deal with O2 Business, as part of the telecoms firm’s “technology makeover” scheme for small businesses. It comes in the wake of research that claimed more than one in five people base their look on what is trending on social media.

The clothes rail contains white orbs that fill up blue to show customers how popular an item is, based on mentions and comments on social media sites – including Facebook and Instagram. 76% of those surveyed also said they were planning to buy a new outfit for a Christmas party.

Ali Tyrer, managing director of Tyrers said: “We’re always looking at how technology can help our bottom line and being an independent business means we are able to try new things. O2 Business has really given us the confidence to think about using technology even further, providing hardware and software to make things happen and push the boundaries to become a digitally leading retailer.”

The store is using its own social media accounts to gauge public opinion on items that go on the rail.

(Press Association)