Sales & Marketing

The retail industry has reached a point of progress with robotics where it is not enough to look at how robots will drive business transformation, but at how they are already doing so.

Following are three key retail areas where robots have already begun to make their presence felt:

Fulfillment and Distribution

The Pembroke Mall in Virginia Beach is home to the newest DSW footwear and accessories store.

The retailers said it opened a 16,000-sq.-ft. store at the Pembroke Mall and characterized the location as “the greatest shoe shopping destination in Virginia Beach,” offering more than 21,000 pairs of shoes.

Starbucks has opened a store in Ferguson, Missouri, a city that was rocked by racial unrest in 2014, as part of its ongoing initiative to open stores in at least 15 lower-income U.S. communities by 2018.

The opening follows the launch of a similar store in the Jamaica section of Queens, New York, in March. Both are part of a national plan to provide local jobs, create training opportunities for youth, and support efforts to rebuild and revitalize communities.

For all their differences, the shopping center owners and brokers from around the world who will gather at the end of May in Las Vegas for retail real estate’s annual RECon confab are alike in that they are all on the lookout for new retail concepts to lure and entice shoppers.

The good news is that there are plenty of newer brands ready to spread their wings. Some have been around for a couple of years, but are flush with new financing. Many are formerly pure players now turning their attention to physical stores.

An announcement by Target on its website saying it that would allow employees and customers to choose the restroom and fitting room that corresponded with their gender identities has thrust the chain into the middle of a contentious national debate.

There are a lot of options in decorating a home, and Los Angeles-based Z Gallerie wants to match its offerings to customer tastes.

“We’ve been known for one particular style, which our customers love and that we’ve done quite well with,” said Chris Nicklo, VP customer and chief marketing officer of Z Gallerie. “But to grow, we knew we would need to appeal to a broader spectrum of customers.”

Bostonians are notorious for their love of locally based coffee chain Dunkin’ Donuts, and now the retailer is making it easier for them to get their daily fix.

According to the Boston Herald, Dunkin’ Donuts is expanding a pilot of on-demand delivery to about 200 stores in the Greater Boston area. The retailer is partnering with third-party delivery services Favor and DoorDash, both of whom try to get items to customers within an hour of placing a digital order.

One of my favorite times of the year is teaching at the ICSC University of Shopping Centers. I co-teach “Marketing & Social Media: Shopping Centers in the Digital Age” with Tim O’Connell, assistant VP, director of digital marketing and communications, at RPAI. While we present stats, trends and case studies, what energizes me most are the collaborative class discussions on how other shopping centers owners are progressing with their social media efforts.