Retail concepts

Mobile commerce and the rise of the fashion app



I don’t have an iPhone so have never got involved in apps but they’re getting harder to ignore. As I learnt last week at a trend briefing from The Future Laboratory, mobile commerce is definitely the future of retail. Ebay has just launched its app which has some great features including share-on-Facebook buttons and an ‘outfit builder’ (did you see the Mango one?) where you can try on outfits on a photo of yourself. Will this function really work in terms of leading to a sale? While the Ebay one is slightly clunky, I think it’s such an addictive, playful feature that it keeps you on the site for longer. While you may not really get an idea of what the dress will look like on you (see the video above and you’ll see what I mean), it can make you feel more experimental. You might not buy that dress, but you might think, ‘what I really need in my wardrobe is an xxx top’ and shop for that. ‘Sticky’ functions like this which keep you coming back to the site/app can lead to a sale at a later stage.

Meanwhile, Debenhams launches its app today. I have had a preview and played with it in store. Scan a barcode and the item appears on your iPhone with all the information you need. I particularly liked the reviews which might give you a heads-up on fit so you know whether to size up or down based on a previous customer’s experience. The barcode scanner is apparently a high street first but I’m sure there are many other retailers about to launch similar initiatives. You can also use the barcode scanner to access exclusive offers which will be promoted in specially generated QR codes in Debenhams’ store windows. Spooky!

Other features include a wish list and a gift list. If stocks are running low on an item you have wishlisted, you’ll be alerted – very handy. Debenhams TV has also launched this week. On your app you can watch a video, then shop the product from the screen (FYI, French Connection has recently done something similar with its Youtube ‘Youtique’). Simon Forster, Online Trading Director for Debenhams says, “Acting as a pocket personal shopper, downloading the Debenhams app means that getting lost, not being able to find your size and having to carry heavy bags home are pitfalls of shopping trips past.” Note to other retailers: please catch up soon.

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Claire’s embraces haul vloggers



Clever Claire’s has tapped into the haul vlogger trend with a shiny new website. One of the first fashion brands to harness the power of haul vloggers, the Claire’s team trawled the streets of America scouting for girls to video blog for the site. The strangely addictive Youtube craze whereby teen girls hit the malls then upload a ‘shop and tell’ video blog is a perfect fit for a youth-focused brand like Claire’s. The retailer’s three brand ambassadors blog and vlog on its site, (hopefully) building a cult following and doling out tips and advice to current and future customers. There’s also a chance for wannabe vloggers to nominate themselves as a future ‘Claire’s Curator’.

It makes total sense to me for retailers to engage with their customers by inviting them to say nice things about their products on their sites (I’m guessing these teens are paid, if not in cold, hard cash, then surely in clothes). Customers trust the opinion of other consumers and especially when the gushing comes in the form of an authentic, home-made looking video. It also doesn’t hurt that the products being raved about are also featured alongside the blog posts to instantly click and buy.

As young consumers tire of celebrities, it seems likely that a new type of ‘blog star’ might take over. The benefit of haul vlogging – a bit like QVC – is it brings the personality closer to the consumer, allowing for a more engaging user experience. With the news that Forever 21 is about to land in the UK, I wonder when we’ll start to see UK youth retailers utilising haul tactics on their websites.

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Breaking news: Church’s to open standalone women’s store



 


News just in: Forget Louis Vuitton, Prada and Chanel, the only shoe destination you need in New Bond Street is about to open at number 163. Formerly a mens shoe shop, the new standalone Church’s store, ‘Lady Bond’ (according to my mole) will be dedicated to women’s shoes in unique colorways. These shoes will be made in Italy ( thanks to the Prada connection?) as opposed to Northampton.

I’m praying for highly-polished brogues, oxfords and lounge slippers in Laduree macaron shades – not much to ask I’m sure you’ll agree. ETA: end of November.

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Fashion’s Night Out: the highlights



Sorry to harp on but I really do believe that experiential shopping is the way to prod fashion retail out of the doldrums and London’s Fashion’s Night Out proved just that. From Manolo Blahnik’s shoe-signing at Liberty, to Burberry’s in-store gig by One Night Only, to DVF’s Studio 54 make-overs and dress-up box (not to mention the free Claridges bar), there was heaps of fun to be had by all.

Alongside all the customer-facing events, there were a number of sneaky private parties but that’s not where the spirit of the night lay. The most successful events were those where fashionistas, customers and celebs all jollied along together. I was super-impressed with the organisation at Burberry. No queue, an open-door policy and a caterpillar of waiters bearing champagne-laden trays at the entrance. Not only that, but inside were plentiful canapes and Christopher Bailey more than happy to hobnob with the punters. A customer may not have bought a Burberry trench there and then, but chances are they had a good look round and will consider a later purchase or buying a lipstick at Duty Free. As Vogue’s Alex Schulman was quoted by WGSN, it’s not so much about customers buying on the spot as becoming familiar with the brands and returning at a later date (although she also said that sales for luxury and high street brands increased following FNO 2009). It’s all about perception of the brand.

Bruton Street was heaving with paparazzi, customers and party people. The entire street (bar Hermes – there’s always one) had something going on. Juicy Couture’s frontage was bedecked with pink balloons and DVF hosted a fun mini photo-studio complete with props. Miller Harris was a delight, transformed as it was into ‘Miller’s Market,’ with florists Scarlet & Violet pitched outside, Clements Ribeiro flogging their lush, hand-embellished cashmeres inside, along with Melrose & Morgan foodie treats and whimsical ceramics and stationery from Astier de Villatte. Oh and did I mention mulling over the pros and cons of catwalk shows versus presentations with Suzanne Clements? Or that Jane Birkin looked ravishing in her cashmere cardi, combats and beat-up Converse ensemble, as only she could?




Funnest event of the night was, as I expected, Harvey Nichols’s craft free-for-all, where Brit designers set to with plentiful haberdashery supplies and graffiti spray cans. Each and every Fashion’s Night Out T-shirt was snapped up (with all proceeds to Kids Company) and duly customised to order, followed by a photo shoot against a More Dash Than Cash backdrop. Erdem and Jonathan Saunders had their own carefully prepped stencil stations ready for some fast spray-can action while Markus Lupfer showed me his stash of trimmings which included laser-cut perspex initials, adorable little bows and ruffles to spell out names.






Upstairs on the 3rd floor, Christopher Kane signed pairs of his just-launched J-Brand collab jeans (reminding me of the hey-day of The Clothes Show Live when Ben de Lisi’s autographed carrier bags would sell for £10 each. Oh the heady days of the 90s!). Having that informal, personal interaction with designers is clearly something customers love and will pay for.
From other reports, especially on Twitter, it seems that London’s Fashion’s Night Out was an overall success. I wondered if the event could have been translated in some way for non-London online customers? I’m still not an online shopper so for me, the buzz and ‘live’ goings-on in-store were the attraction, but I think there must be scope to translate that live, in-the-moment excitement to online retail now.

What was your highlight of London’s Fashion’s Night Out?

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