Keep retail simple.
Technology should make everyday retail easier, not more complicated.
ABOUT iNTERACT
Built from retail experience. Focused on what happens before the sale.
iNteract began with a simple question: retailers know what customers buy, but how much do they know about the decisions shoppers make before they reach the checkout?
Why we started
Retail businesses have become very good at measuring sales, revenue, stock and baskets. Yet a customer standing in front of a shelf may still have a question that nobody hears.
That observation inspired iNteract: a way to make the physical product the starting point for a helpful digital conversation, while giving retailers another view of shopper needs.
A question behind the venture was: "Why does online shopping feel personal, while in-store shopping often doesn't?" It expresses the gap iNteract is trying to address between digital assistance and the experience of choosing a product in a store.
The company's story is rooted in experience of South African retail, alongside research, industry analysis and conversations about retailers, brands and technology. Sales, revenue, basket size, inventory and loyalty information can describe business activity, but they leave other questions open: what almost got purchased, what information was missing and what happened before the checkout?
That focus on the Point of Decision is the foundation of the platform. The aim is to support people in the store and help the retailer learn from relevant interactions, without claiming to know every reason behind a shopper's decision.
Our mission
To help retailers create more engaging shopping experiences and turn relevant customer interactions into useful Retail Intelligence that supports better business decisions.
Our vision
To connect retailers, brands and shoppers at the Point of Decision, making physical retail more informative, connected and responsive to customer needs.
We see a future in which customer engagement, AI and Retail Intelligence work together to make product assistance more relevant. The ambition is to create value for the retailer, the shopper and, where appropriate, the brand, while building on the retailer's existing investments.
The principles behind iNteract
Build on what exists.
Innovation should complement a retailer's investments rather than force unnecessary replacement.
Support people.
AI should help shoppers and retail teams make informed decisions, not replace human judgment.
Create useful value.
Shopper engagement should be meaningful for customers, retailers and, where appropriate, brands.
Start with the shopper.
Every improvement should begin with a real customer need.
The founder
iNteract was founded by Johan Schwemmer in South Africa. His background includes more than 19 years in retail operations, with experience at Woolworths, TFG and Edgars. He also shares perspectives on retail and emerging technology through Retail Intelligence SA and has contributed to Asset Magazine.
His experience of physical retail informs the focus of iNteract: technology that works where shopping decisions actually happen.
Johan is also the founder of Retail Intelligence SA, an independent newsletter focused on research and perspectives on AI, retail technology and the future of physical retail. That work sits alongside the platform's practical question of how retailers can better understand and assist shoppers in their stores.
Looking ahead
AI and customer expectations continue to develop. We believe that understanding what happens before the transaction will remain important to the future of physical retail, alongside the systems that measure what happens afterwards.
We are developing iNteract to help retailers explore that next stage of in-store engagement and Retail Intelligence. We welcome conversations with retailers, brands and strategic partners who want to see what the platform can offer.