Omnichannel

Chain Store Age tech editor Deena M. Amato-McCoy spoke with Mike Lowey, director of retail for Brother Mobile Solutions, and learned how an increasingly evolving omnichannel retailing model, especially digital channels, is impacting replenishment operations and what retailers need to do to adapt.

Warehousing operations are growing more complex by the day. What trends are impacting how merchandise moves through the warehouse and up to store-level?

Nike SoHo introduces immersive product trial experiences, 54-ft. footwear wall

Nike has seen the future of retail — and it’s immersive and digitally connected.

The athletic giant has opened a five-level, multi-sport category outpost in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood that pushes the envelope of sports retailing.

As it creates new brick-and-mortar formats, Gymboree went in search of a flexible point-of-sale system. Now it has one.   The children’s specialty chain added a mobile POS system from Aptos — a move that enables store associates to engage shoppers throughout their store visit. Associates use the mobile devices to process secure transactions, manage inventory, and access order information — without ever leaving the customer’s side.  

Wayfair is extending its commitment to 3D technology — again.   The online furniture retailer expanded the library of its WayfairView augmented reality app by “thousands” of products. The app is also now available on the Asus ZenFone, a smartphone that is equipped with Google’s Tango and Daydream virtual reality functionality.   

Holiday online sales surpassed predictions, generating $1 billion daily for the majority of a two-month period.  

New Yorkers will have a new way to browse Amazon’s best-selling book titles — in a physical store.   Later this year, the retail giant will open a book store in Manhattan’s Shops at Columbus Circle, in the Time Warner Center, according to ReCode.  

BCBG Max Azria Group leveraged analytics when it realized its static “one-size-fits-all” e-commerce site didn’t optimize the overall shopping experience, or allow it to engage with specific omnichannel shoppers.

With a goal of personalizing the digital experience, and integrating its omnichannel journey as a whole, the women’s fashion brand added an analytics tool from Qubit. By embedding the platform’s JavaScript tags within its web pages, the technology transparently records all customer online interactions, pulling information into the cloud for reporting.

As Amazon expands across the globe, enhancing its logistics capabilities as well as adding to the list of perks for its Amazon Prime members, retailers and logistics providers are taking note.

The pressure is on for retailers to not only meet customer expectations, but to also exceed them as differentiation in the retail industry becomes paramount. Amazon has raised the bar for expectations with offers such as same-day delivery and free shipping, and its influence is spreading as it becomes one of the world’s biggest retailers.