Technology in Fashion Retail
User experience and mobile usage in retail, not just in fashion but in any aspect of commerce is one that is changing on a consistently regular basis over the past decade and all signs point to that trend continuing into the next decade.
The fashion industry has by their own admission been one of the industries slowest to react to technology in-store and e-commerce and one of the reasons for this is said to be the difficulty in translating the in-store experience/online experience. (Blázquez, 2014)
Advancing technology, mobile usage and human creativity all contribute to more innovative ways of embedding technology into the retail world, whether purely online or in store.
According to research carried out by Levin and Taylor (2016) there is a very strong relationship between the level of interest in a retailer’s mobile app and the intention to engage in purchasing and information sharing activity.
There are many elements that will engage a user and result in frequent usage, that all must come together in the right package both for the user and the retailer. A study by Adobe (2013) showed that 38% of mobile users had purchased an item via their phone, and a further 56% stated that they would in the following 12 months. The same study also showed that apps are fast catching up to browsers as an avenue for purchasing items.
The research being carried out certainly suggests that the worlds of technology and retail are becoming ever closer.
In an extensive report by Price Waterhouse Cooper (2016) into the trends both now and in the future, they found that Europe and the West are lagging far behind Asia with respect to mobile e-commerce, whether in store or out. The 2015 Christmas period saw mobile retail accounted for almost 37% of all sales which was up from 25% the previous year. Similarly, China on its biggest retail day of the year, Singles Day saw mobile commerce account for 68% of all sales.
When asked the question, Will my mobile phone will become my main purchasing tool? The figure for both the US and China was 26% and 59% respectively. The research attributes this to the products available to users. In China, an app called WeChat with 650 million users has a one-click buy button for users, that allows them to seamlessly chat about items to buying.
It is clear that in Europe we have not yet produced the portal for consumers to immerse themselves in the world of fashion or retail in general, which would lead to larger mobile commerce users than there are currently.
User related technology and retailing/purchasing are two areas that are growing ever closer together as we use resources to research and validate items that interest us.
Increasingly, fashion related websites both mobile or browser based offer more information and advice about trends, styles, sizes etc. Being online or connected offers the opportunity for the stores or brands to communicate directly with their consumers in a much more efficient way than store assistants can and is done more privately which shoppers may prefer. (McCormick and Livett, 2012)
