Article

Evincii launches 'in-store search'

Company wants to do for shelves what Google does for the Web.

April 17, 2008 by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

To the modern Web user, the act of "Googling" a phrase is now second nature, usually the quickest and easiest way to find information on just about any subject — be it badgers, Brahms or bronchitis.

But what about the bronchitis sufferer who is standing in the aisles of his supermarket, trying to choose the right antihistamine out of a crowded field of unfamiliar products?

It is this shopper that Mountain View, Calif.-based start-up Evincii wants to help. This week the company unveiled its Search Box technology, an interactive device that aims to give in-store shoppers the same level of search functionality they're used to having at their home or office computer.

"A consumer in a store often wants help to quickly find the right product that matches her needs," said Charles Koo, chief executive officer of Evincii. "For example, finding the right cold medicine is often frustrating, requiring a long time to read multiple packages. Instead of hiring more staff, search technology is a natural choice to help."

The first usage of the Search Box device is a branded machine called PHARMAssist, which the company has been testing for two years with the help of a handful of retail partners. Situated at the end of an appropriate aisle, the device invites shoppers to touch the screen and begin describing their symptoms through a series of checkboxes.

As each box is checked, the system intuitively winnows out the maladies that don't fit the symptoms; by the time all of the questions have been answered, the software can offer a handful of targeted product suggestions that are appropriate for that particular shopper.

At that point, rather than hunting for four or five products on the shelves to compare their features, the shopper can look at the actual packaging on screen, even "turning it over" to read the fine print on the back. While the left half of the screen shows a detailed view of the product packaging, the upper-right corner shows video content from the manufacturer (for instance, a television commercial for that particular product). On the back-end, Evincii's network keeps detailed traffic logs of all products viewed, across all stores in an enterprise.

Once a product is selected, a map of the shelf appears, with directions on where to find that item.

"We are always looking for innovative ways to provide a better shopping experience for our customers," said Larry Gatta, chief marketing officer of Longs Drugs, one of Evincii's partners during the test period. "After working with Evincii for two years in our over-the-counter drug area, we have learned that its Search Box helps our customers find the right products for their specific symptoms and conditions in no time. Without the Evincii Search Box, some of our customers would walk away without buying any products."

Koo said that while the first applications for the Search Box technology are aimed at over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, the software can be customized for any line of products that is complex and detailed enough to benefit.

"Conventional search tools require consumers to spend too much time sifting through a multitude of imprecise results," he said. "Search Box guides the consumer, much like a GPS-enabled vehicle, to find exactly what she needs in seconds."