Stores Are About To Make These Radical Changes To Compete With Online................

[Chris Ryser]

Stores Are About To Make These Radical Changes To Compete With Online


Brick-and-mortar retailers are making some big changes to prepare for competition from online in the next year.
Gary Lombardo at Demandware, a provider of cloud e-commerce solutions, sent us a few of his predictions for how shopping will change for customers this year. He's worked with companies like Kate Spade, Crocs and L'Oreal.

Here's how he says stores will change:

• Stores will be smaller and more interactive. Stores will begin to modify their locations to have less square-footage. Customers will engage with devices like iPads.
• Retailers will start promotions like coupons and giveaways that customers can access through their smart phones or tablets.
• Brands will creep toward making the "digital wallet" a reality, starting with accessing loyalty cards on cell phones.
• Retailers will offer quick and free shipping to compete with Amazon.
• Stores will replace cash registers with digital devices like iPads. We've already seen this from Urban Outfitters.
• Social commerce will come of age. New methods will make it easier for shoppers to buy products or redeem promotions from their social networks.

According to Lombardo, shoppers will start to see these changes as soon as this holiday season

see at ---------------> http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/sto...214115142.html

[Uilleann]

Pretty soon, we won't even need eyes to see anymore. They'll be replaced with the i-nerve or some other such overpriced apple product.

[Barry Santini]

For B&M opticals, frames will increasing become commoditized, and service and lenses will rule
B

[optical24/7]

For B&M opticals, frames will increasing become commoditized, and service and lenses will rule
B

Yep.

[Johns]

Uh hugh

[optimensch]

interesting point about frames becoming commoditized. With the rise of non-branded, or private label frames, as WP is making the case for, perhaps it is time to sell short Lux stock?

[Johns]

Changes....yes. Radical...really?

1. Opticals have been getting smaller for years.
2. Coupons online? That's "new"? (Much less radical)
3. Digital wallets. Yes, when they arrive, they will be new.
4. Free shipping? Really? I've been offering free DELIVERY since 1994. (Now that's radical!!)
5. I'd be willing to bet that nobody that's checked this thread has a cash register. (We got rid of ours when our abacus broke)
6, Anybody ever heard of Facebook? I'd be willing to bet that most OBers have had corporate FBs for more than 2 years.

Online bloggers/"journalists" should have quotas as to the number of times they can use "radical", "outrageous", and/or "viral" in the course of a year.

Yes, retail is constantly adapting. Many times, it is as much for the convenience/efficiency of the office, as it is for the consumer.