Scanning – The Media Pub News (TM)

All-in-one, integrated foot scanner ensures the right fit & creates a profit center for retailers

TEANECK, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aetrex Worldwide, Inc. (“Aetrex”), the global market leader in foot scanning technology, orthotics and comfort and wellness footwear, today announced the launch of Albert 2, the next generation of the company’s revolutionary 3D foot scanning technology. The all-in-one omnichannel device is a fully integrated foot scanning system engineered to help customers find the right fitting footwear and orthotics and provide an enhanced customer experience at retail. The intelligent system also captures unmatched data and creates a profit center for retail partners. The Albert 2 is the most advanced foot scanning system offered globally and is available to deliver to retailers nationwide starting February 2021.

“The Albert 2 is an easy-to-use, all-in-one scanner that looks beautiful and modern in stores and does everything a retailer could possibly need from a foot scanning technology,” said Larry Schwartz, CEO, Aetrex. “The system eliminates the need for retailers to use traditional, multi-step processes to drive footwear and orthotic sales. The Albert 2 is the fastest, most integrated and streamlined device we’ve ever made.”

The customer experience with Albert 2 begins by stepping onto the sleek, modern scanner in store. The quick, easy-to-use, two-foot-at-once scanning process takes 20 seconds or less and can capture both static and dynamic pressure, as well as 3D measurements of the foot. The accurate, complete foot data is then used to help customers find the best fitting footwear or orthotics on the first try, based on their unique foot profile. The life-like, 3D animated Albert character guides users through the scanning process, while also responding to voice commands, creating a one-of-a-kind, interactive customer experience. The customer’s unique foot scan data can then be sent via email, allowing users to access to their information after they leave the store.

“What’s really unique about Albert 2 is that it can collect an unbelievable amount of data about customers’ feet, and retailers can use it to overcome many challenges they face today,” said Schwartz. Retailers can use the data to help increase store profitability by finding the right fit the first time and providing better customer service. They can also use the data to build customer relationships and loyalty by creating personalized digital marketing strategies based on foot type. Finding the right fit the first time also translates to a reduction in ecommerce returns.

Unlike other foot scanners on the market today, one of the biggest advantages of Albert 2 is the bundle with Aetrex Orthotics as part of scanning process, offering authentic, personalized fitting solutions for customers. “This integrated business model drives add-on sales for retailers, making Albert 2 a profit center rather than a cost center,” said Schwartz. The Aetrex Premium Orthotics line is recognized as the World’s #1 Foot Orthotic System and is designed for a variety of foot types based on arch type and areas of pressure. With Aetrex designing and producing all of their own hardware, software, and orthotics- all with one team- the process is seamless with a focus on quality.

“When a customer steps onto the scanner, it’s always a guaranteed sale. Albert has one of the highest returns on investment per square foot in our stores. We’ve had Albert in our stores for over two years, and I can’t wait for Albert 2 to deliver in February,” said Parks Robinson, General Manager, Fit2Run.

Aetrex Technology has placed over 10,000 scanners worldwide since the inception of foot scanning technology in 2002. Albert is one of the top profit centers per square foot in retail stores today and has proven to increase total sales by 75 percent. For a complete list of retailers, please visit www.aetrex.com/store-locator.

Albert 2 boasts many unique features, such as:

3D Measurements: Albert 2’s 3D foot scan captures the most accurate foot data with key measurements, such as length, width, girth, in-step and arch height, all down to 1/10 of a millimeter. This data is then converted into a 3D model for an engaging, interactive consumer experience.
Pressure: Aetrex’s premium pressure plate technology is designed to capture complete foot data about customers’ unique arch types and pressure points. With the Dynamic Test option, Albert 2 can also provide a pressure gait analysis of customers’ feet, including their center of gravity throughout the gait cycle.
FitHQ: This proprietary software ensures the right fit the first time by using artificial intelligence (AI). The program can be synced with retailers’ POS or e-commerce systems to help sales associates recommend the best Aetrex orthotics or best fitting shoes by brand, style and size per customer, based on his or her unique foot scan.
Voice-Activated Learning Center: Using chatbot technology, Albert’s Learning Center provides an easy way for store associates to navigate the software, as well as provide customers with information on foot health, conditions and Aetrex Orthotics products by simply asking Albert.

Albert 2 comes to market in a modern, compact retail footprint at a fraction of the price of the competition. Albert 2 is available to retailers with different kiosk packages, starting at $2,495 or $83/month, with units launching in stores in February 2021. To learn more about Aetrex’s Albert 2 Technology, visit www.aetrex.com/technology.

About Aetrex

Aetrex Worldwide, Inc. is widely recognized as the global leader in foot scanning technology, orthotics, and comfort and wellness footwear. Aetrex has developed state-of-the-art foot scanning devices, including Albert and iStep, designed to accurately measure feet and determine foot type and pressure points. Since 2002, Aetrex has placed over 10,000 scanners worldwide that have performed more than 40 million unique customer foot scans, averaging more than 2.5 million scans a year. The company is renowned for its over-the-counter orthotics – the worlds #1 foot orthotic. With fashion, function and quality at the forefront, Aetrex also designs and manufactures stylish, performance footwear. Based in New Jersey, Aetrex is consistently named one of New Jersey’s Top 100 Privately Held Companies and was also included in NJBIZ’s Top 30 Manufacturing Companies. It has remained privately owned by the Schwartz family for three generations. For additional information, please visit www.aetrex.com.

Contacts

Cori Hays

Matter Communications

971-361-9604

aetrex@matternow.com

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This boxed-like, squared, pixeled QR Code image seen here can be downloaded to your smartphone and used to scan same like images on products to get information.

This technology can be fun and intriguing to use for finding product prices and coupons, advertisements, useful information and links to websites, businesses, entertainment, and the like.

As an alternative to barcodes, QR Codes were very promising because they are 2-dimensional and can store more information than the barcodes. QR means Quick Response. The little black and white, pixel-square codes were developed in Japan, by Denso, a Toyota subsidiary, in the 1990s to track car parts.

And, with the popularity of smartphones, the creators of QR Codes were optimistic that everyone would be downloading the codes to their phones to scan for a variety of information on the go.

Infographic source: MarketingCharts — Infographic source: *MarketingCharts*

However, nowadays not many people are using their smartphones to scan QR Codes. In fact, Lifelearn states that since 2011 when they were everywhere only 21% of smartphone users have been scanning them.

Likewise, MarketingCharts has reported that even though the number of smartphone users
has increased, the scanning of QR Codes has stalled.

However, some people are still optimistic about the future uses for QR Codes. Locally, Mike Russell, a residence technician at Staples, Lawrenceville, NJ, recently said that their computers have the codes on their tags and if customers scan tags they can get specs about their computers.

But Paul Pascale, assistant manager at Sprint, Fairless Hills, Pa, sometime ago said, “some people don’t like these codes, but some do.”

Some people think the codes are more popular overseas like in Singapore, where shy singles at a bar can communicate with each other by sending a barcode message on a bottle to someone of interest.

“After you’ve written something for the person you like, flip over the tag, buy another beer and place the tag over it. Then have it sent to that special someone so they can read the message you can start a conversation,’’ writes Emma Hutchings for PSFK.

Here in the U.S., QR Codes are used mostly for advertising coupons in the food, fashion, and beauty industries.

Kate Freeman’s article in Mashable tells us about Split Bread, a gourmet sandwich shop in San Francisco, that offers a service where customers order and pay for their food using the codes on their tables. According to Freeman, 30 per cent of patrons to this establishment pay using the codes.

Overall, according to MarketingCharts staff, women are more likely to scan and redeem QR Codes than men, as they are more likely to use coupons in general.

Nevertheless, a slight majority of women prefer to display coupons to cashiers rather than scanning them shows the study by MarketingCharts staff. The study claims that 36 per cent find push notification of mobile coupons offers useful, but less than three in 10 prefer barcode-scan mobile coupons.

This same study notes that one in five mobile users do not want coupon offers on their devices. However, one can use QR Codes for more than coupons scanning.

For those fascinated with QR Codes, they have websites that can create them,’’ said Russell of Staples. However, “I haven’t seen many people using them,’’ he added.

QR Codes are built in apps that can be downloaded from the Operating Systems of smartphones. There are QuickMark and Enigma for Androids, and MiraScape for the iPhone.