The Bridging of Physical & Digital

L.L. Bean looks to enhance the omnichannel experience.

In partnership with Commercetools, L.L. Bean is enhancing their in-store experience by bridging digital aspects with their physical stores. This comes as consumers are wanting to go back in-store but are tired of the typical shopping experience, in addition to the retail industry losing record number of employees, retailers are looking for any innovation to try. L.L. Bean is hoping to create this experience by introducing social commerce, pop-up shops, “clienteling”, in-store POS systems, and transactional customer care. This comes after the company broke up their legacy e-commerce platform in order to develop custom microservices to better serve their customers, claiming once this digital transformation is complete, the brand will be set up for the next 100 years. (View source)

Ikea Expands Retail Concept

As retailers look for new experiences to bring back consumers, Ikea is taking their “planning studios” to the West Coast. With its debut in 2019 within the Manhattan area, these stores provide personalized design services with no need for a cart, as everything is later ordered online and delivered/picked-up. The studios offer customers a chance to book an appointment with designers, offering their support and advice on larger home furnishing operations such as kitchen or bedroom redoes. These stores will be placed in LA areas that have a high affinity for Ikea but are beyond a 30-minute drive to one of their stores, creating more accessible and convenient options for that market. (View source)

Pandemic Omnichannel Leaders

NewStore’s 2022 omnichannel survey shows who came out on top.

The annual research conducted by NewStore evaluated the omnichannel competence of 250 lifestyle, luxury, and premium brands. Each brand’s website, mobile application, call center, and in-store experience were audited and then assigned overall, and individual scores grouped by Digital Engagement, Omnichannel Convenience, Customer Experience, and Associate Enablement. Surprisingly, there has been a stalling of omnichannel optimization since end of 2020, with 88% of the brands evaluated scoring 50% or less on the scale. The five retailers to come out on top overall were Nordstrom, DSW, Louis Vuitton, Bergdorf Goodman, and Fabletics. The chart below shows the percentages of surveyed retailers that have certain omnichannel offerings. (View source)

The Roblox Metaverse

Chipotle to be the first restaurant opening within a virtual world.

Are you saying I can log into a virtual world and order a burrito for myself in the real world? Well, not just yet but Chipotle is getting closer. Chipotle is offering an exclusive experience only for players of the popular video game platform, Roblux. Starting on October 28^th, players on the platform will be able to attend the annual “Boorito” Halloween event via Chipotle’s limited-time virtual storefront and maze experience within the game. Additionally, the first 30,000 users that enter the storefront each day will receive a voucher to obtain a free burrito via orders placed on their website or app, at participating locations within the US. While many companies have partnered with Roblox before to host an event, this is the first time for a restaurant to offer an experience such as this. (View source)

It’s a Dog’s Life

Petco launches physical location for premium brand, Reddy.

Petco’s premium owned-brand, Reddy, will be gaining it’s first ever store located in the Soho district of Manhattan, devoted solely to this brand and to one animal, dogs. According to the company, Reddy has quickly become one of Petco’s most popular brands, especially among millennial urban consumers. The new store will feature fitting stations with personalized custom services, complimentary amenities for pets, dog nutrition station, and several community/photo boards, with more additions and exclusive products coming to the store in the following months. Millennials are the most likely to have a pet with 76% indicating they have at least one, with over half having dogs, according to YPulse. This is also the highest pet spending generation with millennials aged 18 – 24 spending an average of $173 per month, while those aged 25 – 34 spend a monthly average of $141 on their pets, according to OppLoans. (View source 1, source 2, source 3)

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