Top Takeaways From WWD’s Retail 20/20 Forum: The New Store Experience

Top Takeaways From WWD's Retail 20/20 Forum: The New Store Experience Samantha Conti LONDON — Personal relationships, customization — of merchandise and data — and a sense of community are key to a thriving business, according to retailers speaking at the WWD Retail 20/20 forum that took place at Ham Yard Hotel here on Tuesday. Retail may be in flux, but innovative approaches to reading data, a rapid response to customers' needs and tailor-making retail environments — and software — to capture shoppers' attention is critical in an increasingly crowded and competitive environment. Some 130,000 new e-commerce businesses opened on Shopify alone in 2016, according to Apu Gupta, chief executive officer and cofounder of the digital marketing platform Curalate. Below are the top takeaways from the 10 speakers, with full coverage of the event to follow in early May. — Bricks-and-mortar stores aren't as much profit centers as they are marketing opportunities. — Tom Chapman, founder and co-executive chairman, Matchesfashion.com — "Experiential — it's just a new way of retailing properly." — Paul Wheatley, global property director, Lush — Service is an integral part of the retail experience. Customers will remember it more than they will the product. — Chris Sanderson, cofounder, The Future Laboratory — We used to be androgynous, now we're more gender-specific, and we need to keep pushing on the female Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook. Read More... Fashion 3