Unique Value Proposition – Smart Mirror (Tassos)

A unique value proposition explains to the buyer or investor the problem that the product solves, the
unique way with which it does so and why it is better than the alternatives, at least, at solving a specific
problem. This article from Forbes [1] defines a procedure for constructing a successful unique value
proposition. First, the problem should be defined, and an assessment should decide if solving it is
worth it. Then, an evaluation of the idea is done to determine if it is unique and compelling. The idea
should appeal to the target customer base by solving a particular problem better than any alternative.
As such, it is important to have a look at the alternatives before constructing the Unique Value
Proposition.

Smart Mirrors do already exist. Most implementations are DIY projects, such as [2] and [3], often
involving a Raspberry Pi, and of varying cost and build quality. While there are a few commercially
available smart mirrors being sold, they don’t offer any additional functionality from their DIY
counterparts. In both cases, the product is aimed for the home-owner looking for a smart novelty
item. While some commercial products have some unique features such as mirror defogging
capabilities [4], combined with a sleek design and all the familiar smart device capabilities, they are
ultimately purposed for the home user. One company [5], provides installations for both personal and
commercial uses, but there is nothing tailored for shop owners.

We propose a smart mirror tailored for clothing shops. Firstly, the two users, the shop owners and the
shop customers, don’t need most of the typical smart features like a web browser and video playback
capabilities. The mirror will serve a single purpose: it will allow customers to browse the shop’s
clothing line-up, using a simple interface, and it will virtually apply the selected clothing to that person,
while also making recommendations for size selection, according to the size of the individual being
reflected. Thus, the operating system will be stripped down to the minimum and all resources will be
dedicated to performing that one task. The mirror will have a camera behind the reflective surface to
capture face and body images of the person being reflected and some of the latest techniques in
machine learning will be utilized (namely, using pre-trained convolutional and generative neural
networks) to extract information on the image relating to face and body positioning and generate new
images of that person wearing the specified clothing, seamlessly and in real-time. The networks will
be trained, using the appropriate computing power, within the company, and as they get better, their
new parameters will be included in software updates, along with bug fixing and usability
enhancements, as part of the support the company will give to the product.

The intended customer for this product will be the clothing shop owner. As such, the experience of
the shop owner using the product should also be considered. It should be easy to use the product as
an administrator to access the system’s database and add, modify or remove clothing data such as
images and size measurements.

Secondly, it should be examined if there is a market. According to an article from The Verdict [6],
flagship shops already use smart mirrors that can scan clothing tags, alert a customer assistant, offer
specific customer suggestion and show clothing in varying lighting levels. The article indicates there is
an emerging market for smart mirrors by clothing shop owners and it notes that this market is
expected to grow by ‘CAGR of 10%-15% from 2018 to 2023‘, according to Market Insights Reports.
Another study conducted by the Putra Malaysia University [7] has concluded that smart mirrors can
increase sales in clothing shops because they increase customer engagement and accelerate the sales
procedure. Finally, according to retails consultant and researcher Paco Underhill [8], 71% of the people
who try on a clothing product end up buying it. Thus, our mirror will accelerate the process of trying
on clothing and finding the correct fit by doing so virtually and giving suggestions.

It appears that there are several options on smart-mirrors for clothing shop owners, but none include
the feature we are implementing with this product and the specific problem our product will solve will
be unique. It also appears that there is a market for smart mirrors and a clear benefit to the customer,
that is, boosting sales by increasing engagement with the customer and accelerating the buying
procedure. There will always be an option for more feature development aside from the main feature
in future updates, such as for speeding up the payment procedure.

Bibliography
[1] M. Skok, "4 Steps To Building A Compelling Value Proposition", Forbes.com, 2019. [Online].
Available: https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelskok/2013/06/14/4-steps-to-building-a-compelling-
value-proposition/. [Accessed: 01- Mar- 2019].

[2] M. Braun, "My Bathroom Mirror Is Smarter Than Yours – Medium", Medium, 2019. [Online].
Available: https://medium.com/@maxbraun/my-bathroom-mirror-is-smarter-than-yours-
94b21c6671ba. [Accessed: 01- Mar- 2019].

[3] C. Gordon, Instructables.com, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.instructables.com/id/100-

Smart-Mirror-Pi/. [Accessed: 01- Mar- 2019].

[4] "Smart Mirror 60 - Smart Mirror™", Smart-mirror.net, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.smart-
mirror.net/store/products/smart-mirror-60-22. [Accessed: 01- Mar- 2019].

[5] "Séura", Seura.com, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.seura.com/. [Accessed: 01- Mar- 2019].

[6] E. Daniel, "Could smart mirrors change the way we shop?", Verdict, 2019. [Online]. Available:
https://www.verdict.co.uk/smart-mirrors-shopping-retail/. [Accessed: 01- Mar- 2019].

[7] L. Gaur & G. Singh & R. Ramakrishnan. Understanding consumer preferences using IoT smart
mirrors. 2017. Pertanika Journal of Science and Technology. 25. 939-948.

[8] P. Underhill, Why we buy. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009.