Luxury Retail
Despite this, Burberry has given us a glimpse of the future and how both the online world of retail and physical stores can work seamlessly together. The Regent Street London flagship store uses technology to create consumer experiences of the brand in new and innovative ways. I have to admit, the rain and beautiful umbrellas playing on the large multi-media screen in the front of the store (on a sunny day) drew me to look at the range of trenchcoats offered [“Burberry was born out of the trenchcoat, which is all about the weather. It’s a national obsession, and I love to celebrate that,” says Bailey]. Was this mood altering or simply suggestive?
My verdict is that the experience of a brand, its products, and shopping will be much richer, more interesting, more personalised and convenient in the future, as long as retailers with online and offline retailing are prepared to bring the two worlds of retailing together more effectively.
Burberry is making an impact. Opening in September, customers were promised that
Burberry.com would be brought to life in the biggest Burberry store in the world
As a consumer, you can experience this and if you desire, purchase the product in either environment; it is your choice. As with Burberry, you should also be able to return an e-commerce purchase to the store or ship it to the returns centre – a simple but important convenience.
Although the British brand faced job cuts in 2009 and a profit warning that wiped £1bn off
Burberry’s market value, the British institution has
bounced back. In 2010 it reached profits of £166m, with much owed to its international expansion aided by its focus on digital growth.
Within the fashion industry, there
are still many who look down on the internet, whilst those who are now adopting digital initiatives have been slow to get on board. Burberry however have successfully utilised all mediums – from streaming their catwalk shows on Twitter to sending 250,000 samples of their new fragrance via Facebook in exchange for customer details.
“The world is moving so fast. There is absolutely no room for laziness or for resting on your laurels,” said Bailey. The Burberry team are now leading the way, and I hope more and more luxury brands will give serious thought to their digital strategies for e-commerce. I also expect that they will look at different ways in which they can bring the online and store experience together from a consumer point of view.
23 entrepreneurcountry
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