AICEX: Continuare a pensare al fisico e al digitale come a due competitor ha davvero poco senso. Per le signore le sneakers e le scarpe col tacco più che in competizione sono spesso complementari e sinergiche. Certo vanno sapute utilizzare nelle occasioni giuste e con le persone giuste, chiamasi time to market, personalizzazione, personal branding, posizionamento, etc…

The retail landscape is changing…again.

It’s well known that many “clicks and bricks” retailers are shifting focus away from the “bricks” and more toward the “clicks.” Some, like Kenneth Cole and Bebe, are eliminating physical stores entirely. Credit Suisse predicts that nearly 8,600 stores will close this year. As this shift toward e-commerce evolves, brands and retailers have been overlooking an important opportunity. When considering an omni-channel strategy, many have focused on e-commerce at the expense of the in-store experience, rather than optimizing each channel independently.

I believe that the physical store will always have a place in the omni-channel ecosystem and that retailers can optimize this revenue channel while still focusing on e-commerce. Yet the look, size and function of the store will have to change. Retailers and brands will have to “rightsize” their physical store footprint and adopt in-store mobile technology to become more effective to serve and satisfy customer needs to drive loyalty and repeat purchase.

Physical Stores Are Here To Stay