Retail VR Interview with Tencent Cloud

Astrid Baron - 23/08/2021

Introduction: Why choose Tencent Cloud to grow in Asia?

Retail VR Interview with Tencent: Tencent Cloud is a global cloud services provider which is in a unique position. It helps international companies to succeed in Asia and Chinese companies to expand internationally. Tencent Cloud offers the perfect balance between local operations and international expertise through :

Extensive presence around the world
Teams based in each region covered
Exclusive native cloud solutions

Its aim? To guide foreign companies through the challenges of expansion in Asia, but also in Russia, where Tencent is the only player present.

What is the outlook for e-commerce in China?

More and more content is being introduced on e-commerce platforms to attract customers through multiple channels:

On social networks
Group purchases
"Live streaming and one-click-buy

The secret weapon of Chinese e-commerce is based on social networks: Almost all Chinese e-commerce platforms are moving towards a rich content format, combined with social media features. The e-commerce platform creates its own social network environment where consumers can share their own shopping experience. For example, "Buyer Shows" are one of the most popular ways to build trust with consumers. The principle is that Chinese consumers follow the buyer during his shopping and make their purchases during the "show". They can also communicate with other customers and thus create a social buzz. Live broadcasting and e-commerce on WeChat mini-programs are also highly developed in the Chinese market. Sellers present their products live in order to easily build trust with consumers. This allows consumers to buy products directly during the broadcast. China is the most important growth market for many international consumer and luxury brands. It is therefore able to adapt quickly to new situations and to the constant evolution of consumers. Strong competition in the Chinese market is forcing retailers and brands to find new ways to communicate with their target audience. (Online and offline) Incorporating smart retail solutions allows them to :

Creating personalised shopping experiences
Meet the individual needs of their clients
Contacting them in a number of meaningful ways.

The new generation of intelligent retail shops

Intelligent in-store systems that integrate customer databases are significantly changing shopping experiences in China. These advanced platforms allow salespeople to tap into customers' preferences. The aim is to provide them with tailored product recommendations. Based on the information contained in the customer database, they can then best match their expectations.

Retail VR Interview with Tencent Cloud: What solutions does Tencent Cloud provide for the e-commerce sector?

Tencent Cloud provides storage management solutions, with a high quality network, through its DNA from the video game industry. Called Tencent Cloud Object Storage (COS), it allows customers (combined with big data), to build an architecture where storage and computation are separated. This reduces costs and increases efficiency. Tencent Cloud Live Video Broadcasting includes services such as video-on-demand, live streaming, instant messaging and more. This allows customers to create a highly reliable e-commerce business, accelerate site speed and content loading, and improve the user experience. Tencent Cloud Smart Retail systems, including facial recognition, QR codes and RFID chips, are becoming a standard in the Chinese retail market. These systems enable :

Create unmanned shops.
Connecting online and offline sales and communication channels.
Improve the efficiency of the supply chain and warehouse management.

The use of these solutions enables the creation of unique and highly personalised experiences for customers. Tencent Cloud's intelligent e-commerce solution provides accurate and personalised recommendations based on user information and in-store data. All of these services leverage facial recognition to analyse in-store traffic, personalise product displays, enable mobile payments, and more.

Technologies that enable a new experience

Tencent Cloud owns and operates a global data centre infrastructure around the world, covering 27 regions, 67 availability zones and offering approximately 2 million physical servers that are immediately accessible. In addition, Tencent Cloud offers solutions focused on various industries including commerce, including e-commerce security solutions such as financial risk control, anti-fraud and anti-phishing to secure business operations. Data-driven decision making To enable data-driven business decisions, Tencent Cloud provides data security and analytical reporting tools.

Retail VR Interview from Tencent cloud : What are Wechat's mini-programs?

A free chat application, WeChat/Weixin offers messaging, video calls, videos, images, games and other everyday services (hotel reservations, taxi and plane reservations, etc.). With over 1.3 billion monthly active users, WeChat/Weixin is one of the most popular social messaging applications in the world, especially in China. By integrating into China's largest digital ecosystem (98% of China's online population), WeChat mini-programs are the best way for brands to reach their customers. They are applications available from the WeChat catalogue, requiring no installation. They offer convenient e-commerce solutions, online and offline access via QR code sharing, and services such as WeChat Pay and user authentication. WeChat mini-programs allow retailers to create a seamless connection between online and offline shopping experiences. Customers can :

Booking personals shoppers.
Personalise their in-store visits by listening to their favourite music in the fitting rooms.
Customise their products.

Giving customers access to exclusive content and services such as live streaming of events and the creation of shareable content will enable brands to generate new revenue streams. This can be done through live shopping events and social commerce.

Why a collaboration between Tencent Cloud and Retail VR?

Retail VR helps brands and retailers to improve retail processes and sales through new and efficient shopping experiences. By offering intelligent solutions (InStore Activation Virtual Showroom..), Retail VR facilitates the conversion to 3D with virtual and augmented reality applications. Through our collaboration, we offer precise solutions to companies in the e-commerce sector. Smart retailing is possible through advanced cloud technology. All this, on the Tencent technology of their choice: WeChat mini-program, website, mobile... Intelligent systems are now creating a lot of buzz in the retail sector. By leveraging the resources of Tencent Cloud, the advanced solutions provided by Retail VR create unique and personalised experiences for customers. This helps differentiate brands from the competition while increasing efficiency. To support the overall retail strategy, brands need an innovative partner like Tencent Cloud. Easy to deploy, it will provide them with all the tools and resources needed to leverage emerging smart retail solutions.