Creating A New Generation of Retail: National Retail Brands Gain Shopper Visibility With AI

The ability of brick-and-mortar retail to adapt to a changing consumer landscape is reliant on technology, specifically the kind of tools that can allow physical locations to compete with the prevalence of online shopping and e-commerce. Deep North’s artificial intelligence-powered platform, which applies computer vision and data analytics to the video pulled from a store or venue’s existing camera system, empowers this next-generation of physical retailers.

Unlike other solutions that track non-visual cues like cell phone data, store beacons, Wifi usage, etc., Deep North analyzes visual cues like checkout wait times, shopping cart abandonment, customer sentiment, and shopping patterns. This is critical data to a retailer trying to predict and optimize shopper experience — and they do it all while protecting Personal Identifiable Information (PII) and complying with the GDPR and CCPA.

Prior to investment from Engage, Deep North was already working with several national retailers and large venues, transportation hubs, and arenas. Within the first few months of joining the Engage platform, Deep North met with all relevant Engage corporate partners and kicked off a pilot with national retailer The Home Depot.

The Deep North team took advantage of the Engage platform to build relationships with corporate partners beyond commercial contracts. In spring 2020, both The Home Depot and Delta Air Lines joined Engage and other venture firms in the company’s $25 million Series A funding round.

“With the support of respected global brands, we are confident that our platform is truly enabling the experiential retail that customers are demanding,” said CEO Rohan Sanil following the Series A.