Retail stores and showrooms lack the "makers" who created the products. This fact somewhat hinders the formation of deeper relationships beyond purchase—the creation of loyal customers. Using the telepresence robot temi-kubi, artists and craftspeople, anywhere in the world, can be "in-store" for a few hours each week. The conversations exchanged while viewing the works together create fans. No special software is required; connection can be made with just an invitation URL. I wrote this proposal to reclaim the value of physical spaces from a deeper level.

*This image was created using AI generation, and there may be some inaccuracies in the illustrations, etc. Please be aware of this.

There are still some unused items in physical stores.

E-commerce has made it possible to complete many tasks online. Researching products, comparing them, reading reviews, and buying them—the entire process can now be done within a single screen.

Nevertheless, people still go to stores. They visit showrooms. Not just because they want to see and touch the actual products, but because they feel like they are going to "experience" something.

So, are physical stores meeting those expectations?

The products are beautifully displayed. The lighting is carefully calculated. The staff are attentive. Customers are buying. But the relationship ends there. A deep sense of empathy and attachment to the brand hasn't been cultivated. Customers leave as "a brand they've bought from before," not "a brand they like."

There's something that physical stores aren't utilizing effectively: the people who created them.

Having a writer changes something.

What if the artist themselves were there when you were looking at artwork or crafts in a gallery or shop?

You can ask, "Where did this blue come from?" The artist smiles slightly and tells you about the sea he saw on his travels. He talks about how he repainted it many times. After hearing his words, your perspective on the artwork changes. The price seems different too. And you remember that artist forever.

The mere presence of the creator changes the very atmosphere of the space. Context takes hold of the object. Something that cannot be captured on an e-commerce page is born in that moment.

The important point is that they aren't "facing each other and having a conversation" at this time. They're talking while looking at the artwork together, facing the same direction. The conversation flows naturally. This is also a structural strength of artworks and crafts. When there is a tangible "object to see" right in front of you, dialogue with the creator becomes the smoothest.

The problem is that the experience happens almost by chance. It's not realistic for the artist to be in the store all the time. There's geographical distance to consider. There's also the daily work of creating. So the experience only exists on special event days and in limited locations.

This wasn't a constraint, but rather an unsolved question.

Actually, the system is already in place.

I have a question to ask.

Where are the artisans involved with your shop located? Perhaps in a domestic studio, a regional workshop, or an overseas studio. Physically, they may be far away. But online connections already exist.

In fact, many stores were in a position to do it if they wanted to. Developers, artists, and craftsmen are all accustomed to online meetings. They were just one step away from setting up a system that would allow people to participate in store events remotely. It's just that no one had thought of it that way and acted accordingly.

Alternatively, they had already participated remotely using a fixed device. But they didn't realize it could also be "mobile."

There's another thing that's surprisingly little known. You don't need any special software to connect to temi. Simply by issuing an invitation URL, anyone can connect from their PC via a web browser, just like a regular video conference. Artists can connect from their studios, craftsmen from their workshops, and developers from their offices. Without any special preparation, they can join the temi in the store at any time, on any given day.

I'm "in the store" via teleportation for a few hours each week.

What we are trying to achieve is a simple idea.

Every Thursday from 18 PM to 20 PM, the artist of this work will be at the store via teleportation.

Temi or Kubi will be present at the store. Through their screen and voice, artists, craftsmen, and designers, anywhere in the world, can appear in the store or showroom "for that time only."

The customers know. Today is the day they can meet the person who made it.

With temi, you can move around the store yourself. The artist approaches you from the other side of the screen, saying, "Would you like to see this piece together?" You stand in front of the artwork, facing the same direction, and the conversation begins. An artist in an overseas studio becomes present in a store on the other side of the world. The physical barrier is gone.

Once the time is up, temi returns to her normal guidance duties as an iPresence-Agent. The creator returns at the same time the following week.

This approach doesn't so much create a reason to sell, but rather a reason to come back. "That author will be here again next week. I want to hear about a different work from them next time." That kind of relationship cultivates loyal customers.

Suitable products and situations

This experience works best with products where "there is something to see right in front of you."

Artworks and crafts are prime examples, but many other products share a similar structure. These include furniture and product designs that are carefully considered, building materials and textiles that have a story behind them, food and agricultural products whose value lies in the producer's face, and precision instruments and industrial products where the development background is the deciding factor in purchase.

What these products have in common is that they are products that require high levels of engagement and careful consideration, and that the producers are clearly identified. They are better suited to a sales style that builds relationships over time, rather than a sales style that relies on the pace of the conversation to make an immediate decision.

That experience has already happened.

This is not a story about the pure future.

iPresence has a track record of delivering similar experiences, albeit on a one-off basis. Telepresence participation at exhibition venues, explanations by remote experts who appear to be "present" on-site—the experience of how the presence of a person changes the atmosphere of a space has already been confirmed.

The technology is in place. All that's left is the planning ability to redesign it as a "store where the creators are present," and the first step to take that step.

The day the person who made it teleports to the store.

The value of a physical store may lie not in the "physical presence" of the products, but in the "people who are there."

There are experiences that e-commerce can never replicate. Standing before a work of art, facing the same direction as the creator, and hearing their words directly—that experience is what turns buyers into fans. It makes those who have visited once return again.

The word "teleportation" has a science fiction ring to it. But what we are trying to achieve is a very simple wish.

Bringing the voices of the creators to the buyers. Reclaiming the value of real-world spaces from their very core.

The day the person who made it teleports to the store. It has already begun.

 

Experience image

See the manga to get an idea of ​​what it's like.
*Please note that the images were created using AI generation and may not be entirely accurate.