As online shopping has become frictionless, the value of physical retail has shifted. Increasingly, the brands that generate the most hype (and sales) are the ones that turn in-store shopping into an experience.

In a world where almost anything can be delivered to your door, showing up in person has become a kind of signal. The best brands are leaning into that shift by creating moments that feel interactive, surprising, and personalized.

One format we’ve been experimenting with at Shopify is something we call a “magic mirror.” It's an AI-powered mirror that you can customize to reflect personalized messages to your customers.

Our first version of this concept focused on one specific use case: makeup shade matching for Rare Beauty. Guests could press a button to find out their perfect shade of blush and enter their email to have that metadata synced to their customer profile. But shade matching is just one potential ‘mode.’ Magic mirrors can generate all kinds of custom responses:

deliver heartfelt compliments (or hilarious roasts)