Clothing stores install iPads in changing rooms - PHOTO

And it seems that the power of the 'selfie' - defined as a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically with a smartphone or webcam, and uploaded to a social media website - shows no sign of abating thanks to image conscious Brits.Shoppers can now take selfies trying on clothes in store changing rooms and send them to their friends for a second opinion.Leading the trend for changing room selfies is Chanel kaiser Karl Lagerfeld. The fashion stalwart's flagship store, which opened on Regent Sreet, London, on Friday, is kitted out with internet-connected iPads embedded into the changing room walls.These built-in touchscreens allow shoppers to photograph their looks and apply various Karl-inspired filters to their photos before sharing the images via Facebook, Twitter and email.There's also iPad minis integrated into display racks, enabling visitors to explore the entire collection online.While the changing room selfie is the first of its kind, other shops are also using technology to capture the attention of shoppers and change the way they make purchases.Burberry is also embracing technology with interactive mirrors that react to microchips in the clothes and show wearers product information, as well as a video of the look on the catwalk.Burberry's Beauty Box, which opened recently in Covent Garden, was designed to 'blur the physical and digital', says the brand.The space features digital screens, a 16ft 'digital chandelier' showcasing monthly beauty content over multiple screens and the brand's first till-free retail environment.The fashion house has also introduced a Digital Runway Nail Bar, which offers a playful virtual experience for trying on the latest Burberry runway nail shades. By placing a Burberry nail polish onto an RFID-enabled platform, customers can choose their skin-tone and virtually experience the selected nail shade. You can then have a shape and colour with your chosen polish.Over at Harvey Nichols, virtual mirrors have been installed that scan customers' faces and superimpose new looks onto them, you can then purchase the suggested products. High street Mecca Marks & Spencer is giving 'virtual rails' - where customers in smaller stores can see and purchase virtual rails of clothes from the larger stores on a touchscreen tablet - a spin. So why are our favourite shops becoming so tech-savvy? It seems that technology is fast becoming a battleground for retailers as the lines between physical and digital shopping rapidly blur.'It's important for us to respond to the rise of online retail, which offers consumers the convenience of browsing and buying at the click of a button, explained Myf Ryan, Westfield's marketing director, to the Sunday Times.(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az