Bricks & Clicks (Value Retail News)

A group of panelists tries to figure out where the retail industry is in the omni-channel evolution cycle.

How we shop and the way we make a purchase is evolving rapidly, we know that. But how is retailing making the most of “clicks” and how is new technology affecting “bricks?”

The RECon session, “Bricks and Clicks: Where Are We in the Evolutionary Process?” tackled just that subject. ICSC Trustee Holly Cohen, SVP-global real estate for Claire’s, moderated a knowledgeable panel that tried to shed light on the technology and sales equation.

The session opened with a thought-provoking video prepared by Saks, Inc., that showed how a body scanner, digital tape measure and digital stylist can tell a shopper which brands are best for her. Applications of this type are generating increased sales and fewer returns, which makes sense, but one surprising factoid is that in 2012 the Internet was accessed by more smart phones than PCs.

“We’re not in Kansas anymore,” said Vince Corno, SVP-real estate for Saks. “The digital revolution is real and we are investing a lot of money to be the best at it.

See my write up in Value Retail News in its entirety here.