SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Pepper, the humanoid robot, will showcase new retail-specific applications to top retail executives at this year's BIG Show, hosted by the National Retail Federation. From January 15-17, SoftBank Robotics America (SBRA) will showcase, at their booth, how a robot can take brick-and-mortar stores into the next era of retailing through unique experiences that will impact customer engagement, sales, brand management, and net revenue.

"In 2017, robotics is poised to truly transform the retail landscape, for shoppers and retailers alike," stated Steve Carlin, Vice President and General Manager of SoftBank Robotics America. "Pepper has the functionality and form factor to serve customers with the information and brand interaction they need to make smart and informed decisions, while allowing the retailer to monitor engagement and collect new customer insights that can be critical for growing a business in a crowded market place."

Pepper's Role in Retail

Pepper offers an innovative step forward in a multi-channel retail experience. Visitors to the SoftBank Robotics booth will experience unique, real-world demonstrations with a focus on the following:

Brand Engagement

Pepper drives foot traffic and engages with customers in unique ways that are always on message. With its engaging and compelling form factor, Pepper serves as an interactive, dynamic in-store ambassador. Giving customers product information, as well as encouraging the testing and sampling of in-store trials, Pepper provides actionable insights into customer behavior and preference, while building brand awareness.

Sales Associate

Pepper enables an effective workforce by owning the mundane tasks and letting sales associates work at a higher level. By providing immediate access to product details, SKUs, inventory data and other information critical to on-the-floor sales, Pepper enables human colleagues to be more efficient and effective, while delighting and engaging customers. Pepper also helps track data vital to a store's health and success, such as customer satisfaction and product engagement.

Innovating the in-store experience with robots

The holiday 2016 season underscored shoppers' proclivity for e-commerce: Black Friday online and mobile sales shattered records at $3.34 billion and $1 billion respectively, and Cyber Monday 2016 became the biggest online shopping day in history.  As the retail landscape continues to diversify, forward-looking brick-and-mortar stores are exploring new ways to innovate the in-store experience to remain relevant for today's mobile-first, online audience.

Offering a form factor that is approachable and friendly, Pepper can proactively provide a personalized message to customers. With large expressive eyes and lifelike movements and gestures, the 4-foot-tall humanoid robot was designed to interact and communicate with customers.

When integrated into an in-store marketing mix, Pepper becomes a relationship management platform and an extension of the company's on-going targeted communication strategy. During Pepper's first North American activation, a one-week engagement at technology retailer b8ta, the store saw a 70% increase in foot traffic, with customers clamoring to meet this charming and approachable robot. Pepper can qualify a shopper and recommend products based on gender, age or even the customers' mood or emotional response. Pepper can then deliver a sales or marketing message in a repeatable and engaging way, leaving shoppers with a rewarding and memorable interaction.

Enterprise Development Partner Program

In 2017, SoftBank Robotics will broaden Pepper's U.S. footprint with a new breed of customer experiences. As with any platform, the development community is the cornerstone for Pepper's success in the U.S. Therefore, SoftBank Robotics has brought together a community of passionate developers who have already created successful applications used by thousands of U.S. shoppers over the past four months. Leading development companies including Hitcents, Infusion, JDA, Klick Health, Luxoft, Oracle, Pypestream, Satisfi Labs, Solstice, and Traction Guest are among the first to partner with SoftBank Robotics and become leaders in this burgeoning space. SoftBank Robotics looks forward to partnering with more development companies in 2017.

Visit SoftBank Robotics America and Pepper at NRF, Retail's BIG Show, January 15th - 17th, 2017; Booth #161. To learn more about SoftBank Robotics America go to www.MeetPepper.com or follow @SBRAmerica on Twitter to receive the latest updates and news.

About SoftBank Robotics America
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, SoftBank Robotics America (SBRA) is driving technology forward by becoming a leader in humanoid robotics. Our robots, including Pepper and NAO, are used in more than 70 countries worldwide and offer innovative use cases relevant for the fields of retail, financial services, healthcare, travel, and hospitality. Formerly Aldebaran Robotics, SBRA's sister offices remain in Europe, Japan and China under the new SoftBank Robotics Group.

Pepper, NAO, Aldebaran and SoftBank Robotics are trademarks of SoftBank Robotics in the US and other countries.

SOURCE SoftBank Robotics America