Leading physical stores use technology to take on etailers

Offline retailers are leaving no stone unturned to catch up with their online rivals. While many are going online and setting up virtual stores (apart from their physical stores), some are trying to enhance their shoppers’ experience at their outlets. Retailers are looking to offer technology based experiences to customers who walk into their stores.

Shoppers who walk into Van Heusen stores can search for styles and fashion tips that will be displayed on a 42-inch digital display at the entrance.

At Raymond’s, a customer can select the apparel and book a trial room online before actually walking in. Sanjay Behl, CEO of Raymond says, “Going forward, the entire retail at Raymond will be infused with customer-relevant technology.”

Other leading brands like Puma, Allen Solly and Shoppers Stop are also looking at different digital options to attract customers.

Retailers are finding themselves trying to come up with newer and more innovative methods to keep up with the online boom. Some are looking at Omni channel retail, whereas yet others are planning to stay up all night to bring in the customers.

Vinay Bhopatkar, COO of Van Heusen says, “Brands need to keep reinventing themselves which in turn helps in increasing footfall and average-selling basket size. We will also be looking at ways to roll out these technologies in our other format stores in a cost-effective way.”

However, there is a camp that does not agree with this tactic.

J Suresh, CEO of Arvind Brands feels, “We have explored concepts like magic mirrors and realised that there is no actual customer benefit.” Instead, the company has chosen a different path that he claims has worked for them, “Unlike one or two stores, we have worked on a technology that integrates all our offline and online stores.”

While offline retailers need to take another look at their offerings to retain customers, they also need to study the success rate and its correlation to sales. Test runs and pilot offerings will help judge and come up with realistic and long term solutions.