What Does Britney Think?

Hello and welcome to my blog! I will be using this blog to discuss marketing, fashion, retail and much much more. 

This week I want to discuss a topic I stumbled across at “The Business of Fashion”. 

This particular article, http://www.businessoffashion.com/2014/06/store-tech-sales-driver-hype.html , discusses the ever-growing use of digital displays and other technologies within the retail store.  The problem is that massive flat screens and iPads are not exactly easy on advertising budgets.

Are they worth the cost? Can a 24-foot TV drive enough sales to be worth the ticket price? Sure installing a digital photo booth in your fitting rooms will bring the press and an initial wave of customers anxious to test the new technology, but after all the hype what it really worth the investment?

To me this all sounds like a really amazing experience and would capture my attention, but the fact of the matter is if I don’t have the cash for Burberry trench coat today, I’m not going to buy it. Bottom line, expensive advertising displays might not be worth the cost.

From personal experience, I think technologies with the greatest ROI used in stores today are iPads and iPod-like devices used by store associates. I’ve seen mobile devices used for everything from creating customer profiles, to checking inventories, to express checkouts. I’ve had the chance to use mobile checkout devices that looked just like my iPhone, and I can honestly say that on busy shopping days, I was able to scan out far more customers with credit cards then the POS system could handle alone.  One day of heavy traffic could have more than paid for the devices.

In short, new technology in retail space is unavoidable, but what is really needed, and what is just another fashion statement? I’m anxious to hear feedback and know what you think are the smartest ways to take advantage of digital technology in-stores.