SafeSize, the retail tech company the revolutionizes the way shoes are produced, sold and discarded, is disrupting the global footwear market which is valued at over 350 billion euros.
SafeSize’s new product – the Digital Sales Assistant, born at the company’s Innovation & Development Center in Athens, is planned to be launched in the coming months following its successful pilot operation in two leading sports retail chains in the Netherlands and Ireland.
According to information from powergame.gr, the company is already in discussions about launching its autonomous Digital Sales Assistant in more markets, with a focus on Asia, Australia, as well as new countries in Europe. At the same time, SafeSize team, under the direction of the company’s Founder & CEO, Angelos Stavrakis, is exploring the best way to introduce its global innovation to the Greek market by leveraging local ecosystem connections.
SafeSize’s “smart” Digital Sales Assistant, leveraging artificial intelligence technology, assists consumers in choosing perfectly fitting shoes in physical footwear stores by offering personalized recommendations that combine their foot data (3D Foot Scan) and personal preferences with the available stock of the respective store. In retail stores, as demonstrated during its pilot use in the Netherlands and Ireland, the the Digital Sales Assistant adds great value as it ensures seamless sales operation, especially during peak hours anddays, and delivers highly quality customer service.
A vote of confidence
“With the launch of the Digital Sales Assistant, SafeSize once again brings a revolution to the footwear industry, with the ultimate goal of changing the way shoes are produced, sold, and discarded, contributing positively to a sustainable future,” Mr. Stavrakis recently stated in an interview with powergame.gr.
The international expansion of the company’s operations, which already has a presence in more than 50 countries and 2,000 stores, will be supported by the recent funding of 14 million euros received from investors such as Phaistos Fund, Convent Capital and 3TS Capital Partners, as well as a strategic investor (one of the world’s largest footwear retailers).
The big bet and big data analytics
The big bet for SafeSize, which is constantly expanding its commercial partnerships in Europe, Asia and Australia, is entering the American market as well as strengthening its presence in Asia.
Another major challenge for SafeSize is the utilization of the big data it collects related to footwear with the aim of optimizing the global shoe industry supply chain. The Greek startup is the only player globally with such large volume of data at its disposal, as it scans over 1.5 million shoes annually across its nine shoe scanning facilities worldwide.
SafeSize’s wealth of data (3D foot data & 3D shoe data), could be used by the global footwear industry to produce shoe models and sizes based on consumer needs, which means streamlining production and consequently reducing waste and unused footwear, with an obvious environmental dimension.
New commercial agreements
The innovative company, founded in 2013 by Angelos Stavrakis, has offices in five locations around the world, from the Netherlands and Slovenia to Shanghai and Athens, helping more than 20 million consumers in 50 countries find the perfect fitting shoes.
SafeSize’s success is connected with the 3D foot scanner, which enables consumers to find the right shoe size and model while also helping retail businesses reduce costs associated with shoe returns. Some ofSafeSize’s clients include major footwear chains such as INTERSPORT, Decathlon, Sports Direct, HOKA, Skechers and Marks & Spencer.
In 2023 alone, the Greek startup expanded to Estonia, Croatia, Colombia, Turkey, Bahrain, South Korea, and Australia, and new partnerships were established in the Netherlands, England, China, and Japan. Some of the SafeSize’s new clients include global brands such as Puma, Adidas, Nike, as well as retail chains like Sports Direct, Sport Vision, Rack Room Shoes and HighWave Sports.
You can read the original article in Greek in The Power Game HERE
Journalist: Natasha Frangouli
