WELCOME TO OUR tech issue. Admittedly, the
theme wasn't etched in print on our editorial cal-
endar months ago. It came together organically in
the weeks leading up to the magazine in your hands.
Often, a theme that arises in real time—as this one
did—reflects an industry topic that's nearing a tip-
ping point.
In this case, it centers on in-store retail technologies
(some are already available; others are on the horizon) that are changing
the way consumers shop. That's not necessarily news. What's noteworthy
is that collective resistance to such technologies may (finally) be waning.
Better yet, there are concrete examples of ways these innovations are
already re-imagining and re-inventing the in-store shopping experience.
They're making shopping efficient as well as entertaining—and disprov-
ing the old notion that brick-and-mortar retailing is clunky.
Shoe shopping need not be archaic or cumbersome. There are gizmos
to streamline the experience. And they don't require a Steve Jobs clone on
staff to implement or manage. Nor are they all price-prohibitive. Besides,
the more ubiquitous technologies become, the lower their price drops.
What's more, millions of consumers are already accustomed to variations
on these technologies, thanks to their smart phones, tablets, wearable
devices and on-demand services (think Fit bit and Uber, respectively).
People use them on a daily basis, so they're likely to embrace similar
technology in a retail setting. Actually, consumers increasingly expect
such capabilities and will likely gravitate to stores that provide them.
So says Steve Yankovich, eBay's vice president of innovation and new
ventures and the subject of our first Footwear Network Series profile
in partnership with Deckers Brands (p. 52). The tech guru specializes
in bringing cutting-edge technologies to retail to help better engage
consumers. Yankovich says it's all about reducing the "friction" shop-
pers face in trying to find what they want, making the in-store experi-
ence as seamless, efficient and enjoyable as possible. Yankovich, whose
track record of success speaks for itself, warns that it's not a question
of whether these technologies will be implemented, but when. Those
who ignore tech may well go the way of the rotary phone. Yankovich's
insights and latest innovations (current clients include Nordstrom and
Rebecca Minkoff) are truly sci-fi movie-worthy. They're also incredibly
user-friendly, not to mention practical.
One example of technical-driven practicality is the new showroom
concept being ushered in by men's apparel brand Bonobos, designer
Kate Spade (in partnership with eBay) and Solestruck in Portland, OR.
among others. Rather than gripe about consumers using their stores to browse
and then buy elsewhere online because its cheaper or because what they
wanted wasn't in stock, these retailers have incorporated technologies that
turn their stores into actual showrooms. Customers browse and buy with a
scan or click. Their purchase is then shipped in 24 hours. It's an economical
format involving less square footage (no stockroom, for starters) and less
financial risk (barebones inventor}'). It allows brick-and-mortar retailers
to focus on what they are best at: creating an inviting atmosphere to shop a
curated selection. It also allows them to spend more time servicing customers
instead of running back and forth to the stockroom only to risk returning
empty-handed and disappointing a shopper. And the kicker: Today's con-
sumers like shopping—that pastime remains as popular as ever—but retail
experts are discovering that they don't want to lug bags around. A showroom
format eliminates such shopping friction.
For more examples of ways in-store innovations are turning shopping
into a form of efficient entertainment, read our "New Age Retail" feature
(p. 60). Custom design kiosks, 3-D printing scanners, mall apps—they all
prove technology can provide practical answers to help retailers compete
in today's omnichannel landscape.
Lest anyone think all this tech talk spells doom for the shoe store as we
know it, we're not facing an either-or scenario. The best approach is a blend of
new-age technologies and old-fashioned service. In fact, Angel Martinez, CEO
of Deckers Brands and the subject of our In Focus profile (p. 48), believes the
specialty retail approach can be more attractive than ever in an age of face-
less automation. Plus, he says, traditional stores hold an ace up their sleeve
that can never be matched digitally: the tactile experience of shoe shopping.
The touch, smell and try-on aspects backed by exception.il customer service
can make footwear shopping an incomparable experience. But Martinez is
blunt: the senses must be stimulated, not repulsed. If specialty shoe retail-
ers do things well, they can flourish going forward, he says. Our industry's
long-term health depends on their survival, Martinez points out, because it's
in the retail environment that brands get introduced to the consumer and
learn to thrive by competing against each other.
The alternative? A retail dystopia where one giant online behemoth sells
everything to everybody, commoditizing the world. It's an extreme scenario,
but you get the picture: A world with few choices would devastate our industry.
Greg Dutter
Editorial Director FOOTWEAR PLUS
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