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Brazil Retailer Using Facebook Likes On Its Clothing Hangers 112

TheGift73 writes "Retailer, C&A, is putting 'real-time Likes' counters on its hangers in locations around Brazil. The Like data is taken from C&A's Facebook page, where the company has listed its various wares for people to interact with. When a person Likes an item, that Like shows up on the hanger. It is meant to help customers with purchasing decisions. If they are unsure of one item, they can see how many people online think the product is a good buy."
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Brazil Retailer Using Facebook Likes On Its Clothing Hangers

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  • by Anonymous Coward

    Because it is not something that could be easily abused at all! WoW, I wonder who thought that up.

    • Re:Really smart!! (Score:5, Insightful)

      by niftydude ( 1745144 ) on Monday May 07, 2012 @04:03AM (#39913603)

      WoW, I wonder who thought that up.

      It was thought up by someone who lacks the basic self-esteem required to choose their own clothing.

      • Re:Really smart!! (Score:5, Insightful)

        by Maslaka ( 2633493 ) on Monday May 07, 2012 @04:09AM (#39913623)
        You mean pretty much everyone? Because girls go out shopping together, either with friends or their boyfriends so that they can get their opinions on how something look. Likewise, many times men have their girlfriend or wife buy them clothes.

        And you know what, there is nothing wrong with that. It's socializing and often in life it's good to get other people's opinion on things because most of the time your own are self-constrained and wrong. I guess in introvert geeks mind asking other people for help shames them as they feel it's some kind of competition to be aware and knowledgeable about everything. In normal people's mind it's ok and actually makes them feel good that someone else values their opinion. This is basic human socializing.
        • by Anonymous Coward

          I could almost care less about what clothing I wear so long as I am comfortable in it and like it.

          I NEVER have other people with me when I shop. They just pick out stuff they like or looks good. I could care less about it. That is generally the stuff I don't want. It's uncomfortable. :) I'm 27 though and wearing clothes of a school age kid. BUT it's comfortable unlike the clothing most people wear to the office. I get to work from home most of the time. I do have two pairs of dressy black pants and a few co

          • I NEVER have other people with me when I shop. They just pick out stuff they like or looks good. I could care less about it. That is generally the stuff I don't want. It's uncomfortable. :)

            So why not express that to them instead of complaining about it on Slashdot? Tell what you like. They can't read your mind.

          • Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)

            by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Monday May 07, 2012 @06:07AM (#39913921)
            Comment removed based on user account deletion
            • That's a really good way of putting it, I agree completely. Just wanted to let you know, since I have no mod points :)

            • in an ideal world, people wouldn't judge on appearance

              Depends what you judge I think. If it's about judging whether someone is trustworthy, good in his job or interesting to listen to - yeah it doesn't make sense to judge on appearance. It's perfectly reasonable to judge whether you find someone pretty based on appearance. (Certainly there are other factors which can attract you to people - like a sense of humor, warmth or a fascinating intellect - but being pretty is one and that's legitimate, too.)

            • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

              by Anonymous Coward

              again it'd probably pass without comment, but it'd leave a subtle negative impression and modify people's disposition (conscious or otherwise) towards you as a result.

              IMHO, this is the most important part of your post. I offer that we should continue to dress and calculate as we please (regardless of 'effort' as you put it) and other people should continue to respond to it in any way they feel socially inclined. There are those of us that really, truly don't care about a person's disposition towards us, and there's nothing wrong with that as long as we can productively operate within the bounds of society. No man is an island, but that doesn't mean some of us haven't cre

              • Comment removed based on user account deletion
              • I don't think "social acceptability" means "homogeneity" unless you consider "putting thought into one's decisions" to be a homogeneity to frown upon.

                There are plenty of individual styles that work for unique individuals, based on their personalities, body shape, and mannerisms, to forever preclude a homogenous society where there is free will to make one's own clothing choices. And honestly, I'm happy that people are willing to put that much careful considering into something, as it shows the general publ

            • Translating for American audience:

              "I don't understand maths".

              I hate math

            • by gfxguy ( 98788 )

              What makes you think that, because someone buys their own "comfortable" clothes, that necessarily means he doesn't buy good quality, decent looking clothes?

              But I also don't like people picking out clothes for me. That doesn't mean I walk around in cheap jeans and raggedy t-shirts; I wear nice button down shirts and shoes to work, I just happen to pick them out myself. I don't like shoes with tassels, and I'm not afraid to tell my wife to return them when she buys something like that for me. So sue me.

              • by Firehed ( 942385 )

                Congratulations - you give a damn! You're well ahead of most geeks.

                And when dealing with others, that's all it really comes down to. It either appears that you care or that you don't care, and the former tends to go a long way.

        • You mean pretty much everyone? Because girls go out shopping together, either with friends or their boyfriends so that they can get their opinions on how something look.

          They don't want that opinion if that dress makes her ass really look fat.

          • Its kind of a rhetorical question anyway, I mean are there any clothes that make a skinny ass look fat? /foreveralone

            • White clothes enhance size/fatness, black clothes hide it, and hide you too. Which is also why many nerds wear black clothes =P
            • Horizontal stripes are fattening, vertical are thinning. It's an optical illusion. Regarding colors though... no.
          • by Anonymous Coward

            Obviously you haven't been to Brazil. Some women ASPIRE for a bigger butt.

        • by adamchou ( 993073 ) on Monday May 07, 2012 @04:28AM (#39913707)

          This is basic human socializing

          I don't get it

        • Re:Really smart!! (Score:4, Informative)

          by niftydude ( 1745144 ) on Monday May 07, 2012 @04:37AM (#39913729)

          You mean pretty much everyone? Because girls go out shopping together, either with friends or their boyfriends so that they can get their opinions on how something look. Likewise, many times men have their girlfriend or wife buy them clothes.

          I highlighted the important bit of what you said. I'm OK with people getting opinions from friends about stuff.

          But tfa is about people getting recommendations from complete strangers. And imho, this is a whole new level of needy.

          • Re:Really smart!! (Score:4, Insightful)

            by WrongSizeGlass ( 838941 ) on Monday May 07, 2012 @06:38AM (#39913989)

            But tfa is about people getting recommendations from complete strangers. And imho, this is a whole new level of needy.

            Don't forget that this can also be used to determine what not to buy. A lot of people like this? Then I'm not going to buy it because I don't want to look like everyone else. Now, where's the rack that's beta testing the new "Don't Like" button?

          • tfa is about people getting recommendations from complete strangers.

            Be nice, there are lots of facebook users who don't actually have any real friends...

          • ...either with friends or their boyfriends....

            I'm OK with people getting opinions from friends about stuff.
            But tfa is about people getting recommendations from complete strangers. And imho, this is a whole new level of needy.

            Unless those friends were initial trendsetters, they got their opinion from their friends, who got those opinions form their friends-- and so forth down the line. Some of those opinions will have also come not from friends, but from loose acquaintances, or a fashion blog, or a maga

          • I highlighted the important bit of what you said. I'm OK with people getting opinions from friends about stuff. But tfa is about people getting recommendations from complete strangers. And imho, this is a whole new level of needy.

            And it's just going to be another astroturfing campaign.

            For some people like me, I'll assume if Facebook users like it, it's lame.

          • What's the value in disregarding sensus communis simply because it is what it is? How is taking the advice of common aesthetic taste, needy? How is taking the advice of friends fundamentally different, and significantly less needy than taking the advice of other people you know? If you're trying something on in a store, and someone walks by and says "Oh! That's a nice shirt!", would it less needy to be influenced by that if it was your friend? Is it needy to favor a shirt more if 10 people make a remark abo

        • by Nursie ( 632944 )

          Eh, most men I know go clothes shopping rarely, and by themselves. The ones that have the wife or girlfriend along are usually the ones that care about it the least, so let her pick because that way is less trouble.

          Me, I pick things I like the look of, usually these are black things.

        • Re:Really smart!! (Score:5, Interesting)

          by SuricouRaven ( 1897204 ) on Monday May 07, 2012 @05:51AM (#39913905)
          The boyfriend isn't there to offer opinions. Anyone who can get a girl friend knows the importance of lying when asked about clothes. The boyfriend is taken to serve as a pack-mule.
          • by Phroggy ( 441 )

            The boyfriend isn't there to offer opinions. Anyone who can get a girl friend knows the importance of lying when asked about clothes. The boyfriend is taken to serve as a pack-mule.

            Of course he's there to offer opinions. Specifically, he's there to offer the correct opinions. Unfortunately he likely has no idea which ones those are...

        • The "Like" system works well for goods that do not require a personal touch. Where it falls down is individual taste and fit, requiring that personal touch. The reason why women go out shopping together is because their friends can instantly judge the personal factors when they try on that cute dress. The point is, when it comes to clothing, trusting a stranger's opinion is much worse than trusting your own....

      • No, that is who it targets

        It was probably thought up by someone who wanted a quick boost in sales.

      • Re:Really smart!! (Score:4, Insightful)

        by c ( 8461 ) <beauregardcp@gmail.com> on Monday May 07, 2012 @06:13AM (#39913941)

        It was thought up by someone who lacks the basic self-esteem required to choose their own clothing.

        It was thought up by a marketing dweeb who thinks they can artificially increase the perceived popularity of higher margin items.

      • by tomhath ( 637240 )

        It was thought up by someone who lacks the basic self-esteem required to choose their own clothing.

        No, it was thought up by smart marketers who know that their customers lack said self-esteem. Pushing fads has been around forever.

    • Because it is not something that could be easily abused at all!

      Are you talking about the Facebook Like system?

    • What abuse? Say a plain white t-shit gets 10-million likes. What abuse was done?

      • What our Anonymous Coward means is that huge amounts of people would vote for Cowboy Neal, if he'd ever come out with a fashion line.

        That kind of abuse.

        • What our Anonymous Coward means is that huge amounts of people would vote for Cowboy Neal, if he'd ever come out with a fashion line.

          That kind of abuse.

          But the store probably welcomes that kind of abuse: they get to sell fashion disasters they accidentally stocked to people relying on facebook likes.

        • Same question... what's the abuse? I know this is Slashdot, but do you really think people are so ignorant that they can't make a decision except based on this number? Just like some game getting 4.5/5 stars and another only 2/5. It's a data point that may help me make my decision, but it's not going to be the only deciding factor.

      • The green t-shirt would feel depressed because it only got 4 likes.
        • The green t-shirt would feel depressed because it only got 4 likes.

          And if I had a Facebook account, I would be one of the ones to Like it.

          I once found an ultra-bright yellow shirt from Izod at a store that was going out of business. It was nearly as bright as the noonday sun and I wanted it. Unfortunately, it was only just that shirt and it was in an XL size (I'm a small) so I couldn't get it.

          I have searched every store I go in, including outlets, trying to find that shirt, but to no avail.
  • It is Brazil, but... (Score:3, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 07, 2012 @04:19AM (#39913659)

    C&A is from Netherlands - http://www.c-and-a.com/uk/en/corporate/company/about-us/ca-international/

  • by tinkerton ( 199273 ) on Monday May 07, 2012 @04:27AM (#39913703)

    My clothes and various bodily appendages have Like buttons attached to them and when you push them it adds to the counter on the related page of my facebook account.

  • Shocker this, the Slashdot community hates anything to do with Social Media anyway. Why am I still surprised on the vitriol?

    That said, I think this is an amusing idea. Sure, some people will buy according to like-counts, but I would HOPE that that would be a small percentage compared to those that buy by personal taste and fit. This is only the obvious next-step beyond typical advertising.

    Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to see a man on Craigslist about buying a bridge.

  • Geeks wouldn't care too much about what they wear, but those that actually take the time to 'like' an item of clothing on C&A's Facebook page typically do. And they will typically also care about what others think about the clothing they wear. Then, bringing this online voting system into the real world is clever and functional. Those who care about it now have it at their finger tips. Those that don't care about it, well, don't have to care about it.
    • I could also see how this could get hijacked by 4chan or something else to see how many likes they could get on either ugly or just impractical clothing items. See if they could control what people bought by controlling the like count on a particular item. People are definitely sheep when it comes to what clothing they wear. If they think it's popular and others like it, then they will buy it.
  • I like fast cars, hot women and a 10Gbit internet connection. Unfortunately my actual buying capacity is lagging behind my ambitions.

    But if all those people who "like" something want to share this with me and would chip in, I could be tempted to buy that Lambo.

  • On the hanger? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by ArsenneLupin ( 766289 ) on Monday May 07, 2012 @06:50AM (#39914021)
    What if some customer picks up an item, tries it on, doesn't like it (no pun intended...), and puts it back ... on the wrong hanger?

    Or is there some RFID tag by which the hanger identifies the actual piece of clothing hanging on it? Doesn't look like it, as the picture near the article shows a row of empty hangers happily showing a count... And would be difficult to implement anyways if ever this is used in a rack which is much more packed, where a hanger might detect the piece of clothing hanging on the hanger next to it...

    • I think you are scrutinizing too much. This is not guaranteeing that people's clothes are liked. It's about impressing people with a number on a hangar. If a shirt is on a hangar with an attractive number and someone buys it. The system is working as designed.
    • I would imagine this is more of an advertisement rack showing the numbers and there are other racks with the actual various sizes that people can try on.

    • This hanger system does not have to be an extra-proof secured system with all corner-cases solved to still be useful in many situations. That situation can even be improved by having labels in the hangers and have staff replace the clothes if someone still puts them into wrong ones.
      • This hanger system does not have to be an extra-proof secured system with all corner-cases solved to still be useful in many situations.

        Corner case? I'd say pretty common case. Customer hesitates between 3 items, takes all of them to fitting room, and then doesn't quite remember (or care...) on which hanger each was... In a reasonably busy shop this is gonna happen within hours of the clothes being on display.

        That situation can even be improved by having labels in the hangers

        On the photos, it didn't look like the hangers had labels (except for the count itself.

        have staff replace the clothes if someone still puts them into wrong ones.

        ... in a shop which might potentially have hundreds or thousands of different items... They'd need to have staff on the payroll who did nothing else

  • If you’ve got a poorly made, ill-fitting shirt, you’re probably not going to be swayed into buying the piece just because it has 482 likes on Facebook. Similarly, if the item has only two likes, but makes you look like you’ve done nothing but get massaged on a beach in Bora Bora, you’re probably going to buy it regardless of its online popularity.

    Something is probably not going to get liked much if it is poorly made. Something which makes people look great (whatever that is) probably will get liked more. Sure there will be outliers, both people and clothes, but the general case holds.

    Instead of just laying on the snark, the idiot could have thought for a second and realized that the biggest flaw is switching clothes and hangars. Someone takes 3 shirts into a dressing rooms, tries them on, puts them back on the wrong hangars. Why didn't this idio

  • by thegarbz ( 1787294 ) on Monday May 07, 2012 @07:43AM (#39914311)

    This is unfortunately a one sided review system. The big problem with facebook's "like" system is that there's no "dislike" button. As such a product with seriously polarised opinions would look the same as any other popular product because people can't voice their dissatisfaction.

  • by Conspire ( 102879 ) on Monday May 07, 2012 @07:47AM (#39914353) Homepage

    yeah, I prefer my wardrobe to conform with the genre of those incredibly interesting people that play farmville and mafia wars.

  • All the idea needs to feed it's database is spam. Consumers and users sending pictures of products to all their friends and relatives on Facebook so they can decide if they "like" a product.

    It's as slimy as those Australian scum with their astroturf "marketing".

  • Asking a friend is simple. Wonder how they would work in eliminating half the choices.
  • by Anonymous Coward

    Cool Idea...But isn't the most accurate "like" a purchase?

  • when you learn something about your own country in a foreign news site :P

  • but for most females they still need a "let me see how your ass looks in it" button
  • This is just taking the rating system on online stores like Amazon or Newegg, and making them viewable in meat-space. It's got the same problems (sample bias - fake reviews by astroturfers, overrepresentation of people who like to submit reviews, multiple reviews by those wanting to game the system), plus a few new ones (using Facebook means no way to verify if the person giving the like has actually bought/worn the product, someone in the store can switch hangers, you have no way to tell if the store is a
  • Where can I "vote" on all these clothes? I want to "like" all the obviously icky things to trick people into dressing like clowns!

Keep up the good work! But please don't ask me to help.

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