Digital is the New Arrival in Retail
Fall is always such a fun season for fashion. I mean we have the September issue of Vogue, Fashion Week, plus a change in weather, which means a true wardrobe shift. It’s the time of year when I personally pay the most attention to the industry and often find myself making lists of items I need to add to my closet this year.
Lucky for me, I get to track trends and dabble in the retail industry for work. But aside from the fashion trends themselves, it’s always interesting to see what brands are doing to stay top of mind and reinvent themselves. The integration of social media and digital elements in-store has become more commonplace, but I still get excited to see what retailers will try out next.
I think that’s one of the reasons I am so eager to see what Bloomingdale’s has up their sleeve for their new concept store, opening this week at our client Stanford Shopping Center. It’s no surprise that this department store chose Silicon Valley to be the first market to see this “reimagined” store.
The new store is actually smaller (125,000 square-feet) than the older space, which stood at 220,000 square-feet, but still plays home to the 68 designer shops within.
In a recent interview with Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), Bloomingdale's chairman and CEO, Tony Spring, shared that this is the model of the future, and a way to compliment flagship stores in the same or nearby markets.
In Silicon Valley fashion, the new Palo Alto location at Stanford Shopping Center includes high-tech features like sleek dressing rooms equipped with iPads for shoppers to use to browse items and request them in alternate sizes by sending a message to sales associates. Staff will also be able to ring up customers on the floor using handheld technology vs a register. Did I mention the dressing rooms also have adjustable lights? Finally someone understands the importance of making shoppers want to try things on in-store!
I’ll be traveling to the property later this month, so lookout for Instagrams (@Cmallodi & @CuratorPR) of this crazy cool new store!
** Photo Credit: Women's Wear Daily