Reflect On This: A Mirror Checkout Lane

Mirror, mirror on the wall…does this shirt have a discount at all? That’s the kind of thing we might all be asking our mirrors in the not-too-distant future as a couple of major fashion retailers are looking into smart mirrors. Mirrors so smart, in fact, that they can take payments for clothing right from the dressing room.

The retailers in question—Rebecca Minkoff and Ralph Lauren, reports note—will allow users to pull out their phones in a dressing room, and, with the simple wave of said phone, pay for a purchase with Apple Pay or Android Pay. There’s no word if other payment systems will be accommodated, or if that’s it, but it’s still a good first step.

Oak Labs makes the mirrors in question, which can read radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on the clothes themselves, and even function as a display center for complementary items like accessories that “go with” an item intended for purchase. Customers can even use the mirrors to adjust light levels in dressing rooms and alert store assistants to a need for help.

This isn’t so outlandish an idea; while the concept of a “smart mirror” is a little out of the ordinary, it joins a growing number of retailers who are looking to put the checkout lane into users’ hands and out of the store’s. This is a good idea for a number of reasons; it takes a lot of the stress out of the more conventional checkout lane, and makes the experience better for all concerned (even the clerks who never have to face down a holiday rush again because as soon as the line gets anywhere near the muttering level—where you can’t stop muttering “how long IS this line” when you’re in it—those who can will take care of their own checkout procedures and free up space). It could also result in some cashier job losses too, but only possibly.

A potentially smart idea, these smart mirrors may not hit your favorite store any time soon, but the idea of decentralizing checkouts with mobile payment systems could be a valuable measure by any stretch.