The Galeries Lafayette Connected Hanger
ELECTRONICS / DESIGN / APPLICATION SOFTWARE
The Galeries Lafayette Connected Hanger: Innovation Enhancing the In‑Store Customer Experience
Developed in collaboration with BLUEGRioT, the Galeries Lafayette connected hanger is transforming the way customers shop in-store. This smart, sensor-equipped hanger, linked in real time to the store’s inventory system, instantly displays essential product details—such as price and available sizes—the moment a shopper picks up an item. It can also highlight live promotions and offers as they happen.
Designed for modern retail, this innovative connected object creates a more interactive, personalized, and seamless customer experience, bridging the gap between physical shopping and real-time digital information.
An Unparalleled Ambition
The in-store experience is entering a new era with the “connected hanger”—an innovative collaboration between Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées and BLUEGRioT, our design and engineering studio specializing in smart connected objects. This compact, high-tech solution pushes the boundaries between the digital world and the department-store experience, delivering a truly new and elevated way for customers to shop.
A Fusion of Design and Technology
By reinventing a ready-to-wear icon, BLUEGRioT and Galeries Lafayette took on a dual challenge: exceptional design and advanced engineering. The connected hanger is the result of smart mechanical design—combining easy assembly, long-lasting durability, and cutting-edge technology. The outcome is an elegant hanger with a premium look and feel that meets the high standards of the luxury retail world.
Features and Customer Experience
The hanger includes custom-built electronics, integrating the latest sensor technologies and RFID & Thread connectivity. When a customer picks up a garment, subtle LED lights turn on and a “magic” interface appears, instantly showing key details such as price and size. The system can also recommend matching items and surface real-time promotions, creating a more personalized, interactive, and seamless in-store experience.
More Than a Simple Object
This isn’t just a hanger, it’s a breakthrough in the in-store customer experience. It puts the sales associate back at the heart of the journey, enabling more valuable conversations and better, more personalized service. Now imagine thousands of smart connected hangers communicating in real time with the store’s IT and inventory systems. Galeries Lafayette chose to be bold, and the outcome is striking.
A Record-Breaking OpenThread Network
What truly differentiates this project from other smart object initiatives is the scale of the Thread network deployed. By the end of the rollout, more than 2,000 connected hangers were operating on the mesh network, allowing BLUEGRioT to deliver what is considered the largest Thread network ever implemented worldwide. This technical milestone didn’t just set a new benchmark for retail innovation, it also caught the attention of the Google and OpenThread teams, who praised the achievement. The power and sophistication of this network highlight the shared commitment of BLUEGRioT and Galeries Lafayette to pushing the boundaries of connected technology and next-generation customer experiences.
Conclusion
The Galeries Lafayette x BLUEGRioT connected hanger is a remarkable achievement in design and technology, creating a premium, high-impact moment for shoppers while reinventing the traditional retail experience. In short, it’s a clear view of the future of retail.
