EXPLORATION : THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

In the last post, we looked at the in-person and online consumer purchasing processes.  This week, we will take a look at two ways technology can be incorporated into the in-person experience. The virtual Reality process highlights the idea that a consumer can scan their body measurements into a database accessed by retailers who will create custom clothes for the consumer.  Measurement through an app will allow the consumer to virtually try on clothing without the fear of a returned purchase and saving time. The hybrid concept puts the consumer in a mall.  Each retailer offers one sample per size of each garment.  The consumer tries the clothes on in the store, then orders and pays for the garment through an app, and exits the store.  Once the shopping experience is complete, the consumer will go to a designated area, similar to grocery pick-up, and claim all of their purchases from the day.  This allows the consumer the ability to go about the mall withou...

     Consumer experience is the driving force of retail.  In-person shopping has been the dominant preference for decades, mainly because there was no other option.  Now, in the age of technology, online retail has skyrocketed and is now, in some instances, the only form of purchase.  This paper argues a third option on the horizon in the form of virtual reality.  While in-person and the standard online platforms will remain intact, virtual reality shopping will provide the consumer an opportunity for authenticity in a world of standardization. Using the Northwest Arkansas mall as a precedent, I will showcase the opportunity for an existing retail center to evolve its footprint to offer all three shopping strategies.