SKC Studios installs its 1956 Individuals AI Avatar Welcoming Shoppers to Scan & Pack celebrating 10 years of trading at IKEA Reading

 IKEA Reading celebrated ten years in the city with a three-day showcase, that ran from 10 to 12 July 2026, introducing a conversational AI avatar in their store.

Powered by 1956 Individuals, the conversational AI platform from SKC Studios, that is based at The EpiCentre, the avatar greeted shoppers and introduced them to Scan & Pack, the IKEA app feature that lets customers scan items as they shop and pay in seconds, with IKEA Family rewards applied automatically.

The anniversary showcase was driven by the IKEA Reading store team, marking ten years serving customers across Berkshire while looking ahead at how the in-store experience will continue to evolve.

Positioned at the entrance, the avatar’s role was simple: greet every visitor and make sure they leave knowing how to skip the checkout queue next time they shop. Customers who haven’t yet tried Scan & Pack were shown how to activate it in the IKEA app in a few taps – turning a first hello into a faster, easier shop.

Gunay Ertem, IKEA Reading Market Manager, said:

“Ten years in Reading has taught us a great deal about what our customers need and how we can serve them better. This anniversary is a chance to look back at how far we have come and give back to our loyal IKEA Family members with a variety of reasons to shop with us now and in the future. Bringing a conversational AI avatar into the store to help more customers discover Scan & Pack is a fun, practical way to mark the milestone – it speaks to our belief that the best retail experiences keep finding new ways to put the customer first.”

For 1956 Individuals, the deployment was a first step into large-format retail, following avatar projects in heritage and healthcare settings, including AI Queen Eleanor at Leeds Castle and a patient-navigation collaboration with Modality Partnership.

Babita Devi, Co-Founder & Chief Commercial Officer, 1956 Individuals, said:

“IKEA Reading is one of the busiest, most varied retail environments we could have asked for, and that makes it a brilliant proving ground. What excited us is the bigger picture: conversational AI becoming a natural, everyday part of how people are welcomed and guided through physical spaces, at a scale few retailers can match. This was just the beginning of what’s possible here.” 

Helen Earl, Centre Manager at The EpiCentre in Haverhill, said:

“It’s immensely rewarding to see a company based at The EpiCentre once again demonstrating how cutting-edge technology developed in Haverhill can have a real impact in the wider world. SKC Studios continues to push the boundaries of conversational AI, and seeing its technology deployed in one of the UK’s leading retail environments is a fantastic achievement. It gives everyone at The EpiCentre great pride to be associated with such innovative businesses, helping them develop breakthrough technologies that are making a difference across multiple sectors.”

The showcase ran at IKEA Reading from 10 to 12 July 2026.