The world’s leading provider of down is now utilizing taggant marking technology in a cutting edge retail interface to ensure traceability of down.

MONTEBELLO, COLORADO, UNITED STATES, February 13, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In what is being hailed as the next generation of traceability and accountability in down insulation for bedding and garments, ALLIED Feather & Down announces the introduction of the first-ever Optix iMirror -- an immersive retail experiential tool with the ability to read and verify down inside garments.

The Optix iMirror powered by NOBAL Technologies is the first interactive retail tool of its kind. An imbedded scanner can read an organic taggant signature impregnated on the down insulation inside each ALLIED filled garment to offer the consumer a unique educational experience. The “Optix iMirror” Smart Mirror was developed by Allied Feather & Down in partnership with NOBAL Technologies and Optix technology to provide the next generation of multi-channel, real-time traceability for down insulation in garments. As the co-creators of the Responsible Down Standard and inventors of TrackMyDown.com, ALLIED always knew something beyond paper certifications and hang tags would be necessary to ensure complete traceability and accountability across the supply chain and through to the finished product and retail experience.

This tool for retailers is now an Outdoor Retailer Innovation Award Winner, a coveted designation announced at the OR + Snow Show, on January 30, 2020. This award recognition comes on top of last year’s ISPO Gold Award for Allied’s unique TrackMyDown.com online traceability and education platform.

A life-size, real-time interaction with TrackMyDown.com is at the heart of this brand new consumer experience, elevating down from a misunderstood commodity to a premium ingredient that can be instantly traced back to its source to ensure animal welfare and the highest level of environmentally sensitive and performance-preserving handling and treatment.

The Optix iMirror is available to retail locations and ALLIED partner-brand flagship stores now. The iMirror was launched and piloted with the Beauty & Youth brand and featured in select stores throughout Japan in November 2019.

The iMirror will also be able to tie into a store or brand’s inventory and offer further product suggestions, show colorways, and even allow purchases right through the iMirror itself. This type of technology has been recognized as truly the future of multi-channel retail.

Consumers can have their garment read in real time in front of the Optix iMirror and interact and discover where their down comes from, what its performance characteristics are, how to care for it after purchase, and even see other colors and styles of the product that might be in stock (as well as how good they look).

“The industry and brands are doing a lot of work on issues of traceability, but often it is not conveyed directly to the consumer in an engaging experiential way. The RDS, for example, does nothing to communicate any information beyond the fact that it has been certified as responsibly sourced. It could be processed horribly with much damage to the environment. This is where our TrackMyDown tool came in, that was the recipient of the ISPO Gold award last year. The Optix iMirror, however, interacts directly with the jacket, reading a reflective finish on the down through the fabric, and will tell you everything you want to know about the down inside. It will be a critical tool for any brand as both a consumer education tool as well as a device that can offer authentication and make material impossible to counterfeit,” says ALLIED Creative and Marketing Director Matthew Betcher.

“ALLIED has spent millions of dollars and countless hours ensuring our position as industry leaders in animal welfare and sustainable processing methods, and that includes an investment in retail technology and innovation for our brand partners, as well as consumer-facing traceability down to the very batch,” said Daniel Uretsky, President, ALLIED Feather & Down.

“We knew it was necessary to develop a tool that would engage the potential purchaser of a down product to help them make more informed decisions, and we continue to be at the forefront of global issues such as Palm Oil Free Certification and reduction of microplastics in the environment,” continued Uretsky. “We always saw the RDS and other standards as the foundation for the real work, and now we are able to communicate source complexities, environmental benefits and cleanliness to the consumer directly and through our brand partners at point of purchase.”

We are happy to provide media with more information, tours and demonstrations of these technologies and processes.

About ALLIED Feather & Down
Founded in Vernon, Calif. in 1987, ALLIED has been responsibly sourcing and sustainably processing down while simultaneously driving innovation within the insulation market for over 30 years. The family owned and operated business has earned the reputation as the largest, most reliable and most responsible supplier of raw material in the industry. Through the creation of programs such as the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) and Track My Down, ALLIED is committed to safeguarding the welfare of animals while protecting the environment. ALLIED remains a family owned company with facilities worldwide and is proud to produce the highest quality down technologies demanded by the most discerning brands in the outdoor, hospitality and fashion marketplaces. To learn more about ALLIED, please visit http://www.alliedfeather.com/.

About NOBAL Technologies
NOBAL Technologies, producers of the The iMirror, believes in reimagining and reinventing the human experience by enhancing the physical world through seamless and engaging technology. With retail currently in the midst of massive change, both online and offline, retailers are looking for innovative technologies that will help connect customers and provide them with a shopping experience that leverages the best of the physical and online shopping. The iMirror is successfully connecting both of these channels by bringing the best of e-commerce to life in brick-and-mortar stores, helping shoppers connect with products in new and innovative ways, and helping to convert physical shoppers into omni-channel customers.

Scott Kaier
Formidable Media
+1 303-522-6443
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