Normally when a customer shops for, say, a jacket or a shirt, it's up to the salesclerk to suggest matching items to generate a bigger sale.
But now high-tech hangers can do the job. When a jacket is lifted from a rack, an embedded sensor sends a signal to a computer and switches on a brief video showing a recommended combination, or how it looks worn by a female idol.
These so-called interactive hangers, developed by digital product firm teamLab Inc., have succeeded in whetting consumer appetite at apparel and other fashion outlets targeting youngsters in a country where consumer sentiment has been depressed for years.