True Religion: Endless Aisle on Apple Watch
Transforming in-store engagement with wearable technology
True Religion, a leader in premium denim, sought to redefine the in-store shopping experience through technology. The Endless Aisle Apple Watch app enabled store associates to access the brand’s full catalog, showcase products on large digital screens, and create an interactive, collaborative shopping experience.
This innovation blurred the line between digital and physical retail, driving deeper customer engagement and increasing sales conversion rates.
The Challenge
Retail stores often face inventory limitations, preventing customers from seeing the full product catalog in-store. True Religion wanted a solution that would:
- Empower store associates to showcase the full product range.
- Enhance engagement by making shopping a social, interactive experience.
- Seamlessly integrate with digital signage for a futuristic feel.
They needed a scalable, real-time solution that worked with their existing retail technology.
The Solution
Our team developed the Endless Aisle Apple Watch App, allowing associates to:
- Browse the entire product catalog from their wrist.
- “Throw” product images onto large digital signage displays with a swipe.
- Enable scan-to-buy functionality for instant checkout.
- Receive real-time customer insights through beacons & geofencing.
- Use haptic alerts to notify associates when VIP customers entered the store.
This was paired with custom-built digital signage running on an interactive, cloud-powered system, creating a seamless omnichannel experience where store associates became digital stylists.
Technical Architecture
- Wearables: Apple Watch app for quick catalog browsing.
- Cloud Infrastructure: AWS for real-time data synchronization.
- Retail Integration: Aptos Retail POS system.
- Beacon & Geofencing Tech: Enabled real-time customer tracking & alerts.
- Digital Signage: Interactive product displays driven by real-time associate input.
Results and Impact
- Boosted engagement: Customers spent more time interacting with products.
- Increased conversion rates: Higher sales through real-time product visibility.
- Innovative brand positioning: True Religion positioned itself as a leader in tech-enabled retail.
Retail Dive called it “a reimagining of in-store engagement.” (Source)
My Role
As the Product Designer/Manager, I was responsible for:
- Concepting and architecting the overall customer experience.
- Leading the iOS development team, ensuring the wearable experience was seamless.
- Defining the UX and interaction model for Apple Watch and digital signage.
- Integrating beacon and geofencing to drive real-time customer engagement.
- Implementing AWS infrastructure to enable real-time data synchronization.
- Retail install and deployment at True Religion locations nationwide.
Why It Matters
This project was more than just a tech showcase—it demonstrated how wearable technology could transform retail:
- Haptic alerts gave associates real-time VIP customer engagement opportunities.
- Apple Watch enabled instant access to inventory and styling recommendations.
- Digital signage transformed into an interactive, clienteling tool.
This wasn’t just about endless aisle shopping—it was about empowering associates with real-time data to create a richer customer experience.