Jan-Pieter (JP) Lips

Branded apps, till-less stores, and going back to basics - how the store can thrive today

If you’re looking for the big brands, doing their coolest stuff, you can’t beat central London. I’m lucky that my office is situated just off Oxford Circus. A lunchtime stroll takes me on a tour of the retail golden triangle that is Oxford Street, Regent Street, and Piccadilly.

These landmark shopping streets are home to retail royalty - both literally and figuratively. You’ve got the fashion giants vying for attention with dazzling in-store experiences, high-end brands that elegantly integrate technology to complement their premium services, and retail icons that have made heritage into an art form.

During a recent lunch hour, I went to take in the sights. Here’s a round-up of my favourites:

Oxford Circus and Nike Town First up: Nike Town, a sporting mecca for all things athletic. Nike has created a destination for brand devotees where they can hang out, work out and checkout - all to the pounding beats of a resident DJ.

If you have Nike’s app on your phone, you’ll receive a welcome message as you enter the store. You can use the app to check product availability and even scan items and get them brought to a fitting area in your size (no need to wander around with a football boot in your hand trying to flag down a sales assistant). Once you’re ready to buy, a sales assistant will produce a mobile point of sale device and take payment on the spot. If they don’t have your size in store, you can purchase online via the app - bringing the 'endless aisle' experience into the palm of your hand.

There are personalisation stations where you can have your name stamped on your football shirt. And there are areas where you can test sportswear, including a mini football testing area and treadmills. And, since the sustainability of fashion is a hot topic at the moment, it’s nice to see a recycling area that demonstrates how Nike products are recycled.

Regents Street and Mulberry With the thump of music still ringing in my ears, I headed south towards Regent Street, an elegant sweep of high-end retail encased in imposing Edwardian architecture that sets the tone for a very different type of retail experience.

Mulberry’s Regent Street flagship store has used technology to instill a sense of luxury into its whole store experience. At first glance, there are no tills at all. That (always slightly awkward) part of the shopping experience is discreetly tucked away, removing the focus away from the transaction and keeping the shopper’s mind firmly on the brand.

Sales assistants will happily spend 40 minutes chatting to a customer and helping them choose their perfect products. Once ready to purchase, payment is taken on the spot via a mobile point of sale device, which appears at that crucial moment (and not before). Tills are positioned behind the scenes for receipt printing, gift cards and the like.

On an iPad, sales assistants have access to customer profiles for a more personalised shopping experience. If the shopper’s email address is captured, the sales assistant sends a thank you email. Three months later a second email is generated, asking the shopper if they’re satisfied with the product, and then six months later a third email invites the shopper back into the store. This automated email exchange helps to establish a personal relationship between the shopper and sales assistant, making the whole experience feel more bespoke.

Piccadilly and Fortnum & Mason Let’s leave high-tech behind for a moment and get back to old school retail fundamentals. For me, no London shopping trip is complete without a trip to Fortnum & Mason.

Established in 1707, Fortnum holds royal warrants from the Queen and Prince Charles, after supplying groceries to the family for many years (apparently, HRH even popped in for tea back in 2012). Fortnum is a pillar of British retail tradition. It’s a treasure-trove of iconic products graciously served to you by sales assistants wearing tailcoats and white gloves.

But it’s more than just a heritage brand. Fortnum continues to be a place where you can find wonderful, high-quality products sold to you by someone with a true passion for what they do. They regularly host tastings and I was charmed into buying a bottle of gin by a sales assistant whose devotion to her product was infectious - I’ve nearly finished it, so she wasn’t wrong.

It’s all about the human element. Fortnum inspires and excites the shopper by the knowledge and enthusiasm of its staff. It understands its value and knows what it does well - which is why it’s still here over three centuries later.

As I wandered back to my office, I reflected on what I’d seen. I think there are three key lessons here:

Keep things in context

No one would expect to download a branded app in order to get the most out of shopping at Fortnum’s. And, in the same way, no one would expect to spend 40 minutes talking to a sales assistant at Nike Town. Each retailer has chosen to offer experiences that are meaningful to their brand, rather than distracting from it.

Use tech as a tool, not a gimmick

Mulberry and Nike Town both rely on technology to enhance their shopper experience and drive sales. Nike uses tech that interacts directly with the shopper, inviting them to engage via multiple channels. While Mulberry uses technology behind the scenes to help strengthen the relationship between the shopper and the sales assistant. In both cases, tech is a valuable sales tool which helps rather than hinders the store staff.

Don’t underestimate the power of your store

At a time when 16 stores close every day in the UK, many retailers are concerned about the role and the health of the high-street. But Nike, Mulberry and Fortnum prove that the future of stores can be bright. Retailers must embrace technology to remove shopper pain-points and create Unified Commerce experiences that combine the best of your physical store with the flexibility of ecommerce.

And remember: The most powerful use of technology is to free up staff to focus on the customer - just like the good old days.

Learn more about the state of retail in Adyen’s 2019 retail report, and discover eight ways to make the most out of a £102bn opportunity.

Jan-Pieter (JP) Lips

London, England, United Kingdom 4K followers 500+ connections

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