Video – Local Startup Company Develops New Technology To Retail Customers

Three months away from the holiday shopping season, retailers are already getting ready for the busiest time of year.

One local start-up company has developed a new technology they say will help make the shopping experience for customers easier.

“It’s a really neat little device,” said Libby Oliver, a sales associate at The Container Store North Texas.

A little device Oliver wears while working is about the size of a pager worn at the hip and an earpiece to communicate with other employees.

“We’ve created this little wearable computer for associates to utilize while they’re out on the floor at a retail store doing their job,” said Chris Todd, CEO of Richardson-based Theatro.

Todd said six months ago, Theatro was in five stores. Today, Theatro is being used in 115 stores nationwide, including The Container Store.

“It allows us to have a better presence on the floor, make customers our top priority,” said Elizabeth Bracken with The Container Store. “We can really be more interactive with them rather than have to run off the floor when we need to investigate about inventory, because we can now check inventory on the device to know if we have something in stock or not.”

Sales associates are also able to command to speak directly to other associates, doing away with unnecessary chatter all employees had to hear on walkie-talkies and focus more on the customer, said Bracken.