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True Religion deploys Apple Watch to salespeople in NY & LA, plans up to 30 more stores

As part of a new initiative to enhance customer engagement, California-based clothing company True Religion has begun outfitting its retail store employees with the Apple Watch, including integration with iBeacons.

True Religion revealed to AppleInsider this week that it has deployed the Apple Watch at its two flagship locations in New York and Los Angeles. The company plans to roll out the Apple Watch to between 20 and 30 more stores this year.

In the store, associates use the Apple Watch to offer more personalized in-store customer engagement.

True Religion loyalty members who opt in on the company's app will allow associates to know once they have entered the store, thanks to iBeacons. Salespeople will be alerted to their presence with a haptic response from the Apple Watch.

On the app, made in partnership with Aptos and Formula 3 Group, the associate can then access customer information, including buying patterns, sales history, and suggested selling recommendations.

The Apple Watch app also includes product imagery with a virtual view of past purchases. Customers who opt in can also have their social media profiles integrated, allowing associates to recognize and greet the shopper by name.

The ultimate goal of pushing Apple Watch in the retail space is to "liberate" associates from the point of sale, allowing them to move throughout the store and cater to customer needs more freely.

"The Apple Watch clienteling application from Formula 3 Group powered by Aptos CRM/Clienteling is retail personalization realized," said John Hazen, senior vice president, Direct to Consumer & Omnichannel at True Religion, Inc. "For store associates to be notified via haptic touch on the watch that a customer has entered the store and then provided with their purchase history in a visual manner is the 'Holy Grail' of insight and personalization. With this new integration, we hope to empower sales associates with the customer information and tools they need to better serve customers, while elevating the customer experience and converting more sales."