The Zara Of The Future
A glimpse into Zara’s strategy of integrating stores with the online world
While H&M is testing its newly launched concept Arket, Zara unveiled a temporary concept store at London’s Westfield. The pop-up is part showroom and part fulfillment store for Zara’s online orders, returns, and exchanges. Here is a sneak peek into the high-tech vision of click-and-collect from the world’s largest fashion retailer.
The store will be part of the on-site 48,500 square feet London flagship around it, which is being revamped and slated to open in May. The current tech-driven concept offers a curated edit of the brand’s latest collection with items displayed in just one size. Smart mirrors in the fitting rooms can detect items and project content onto the surface, including matching products, different sizing options and additional colors. Shoppers can order from store associates via handheld devices, at a self-checkout area, or via Zara’s proprietary app by scanning the label.
The future flagship store will be equipped with visual-recognition-enabled stations that can automatically identify the garments. Shoppers will only need to confirm the items on-screen before paying by mobile devices or card. To pick up their orders, shoppers can scan QR codes or type in PIN codes, and a dynamic robot will fetch their parcels from two small on-site warehouses within seconds. The future has arrived.
Sources: WWD - Fashion (January 25, 2018) | Stylus - Retail (January 31, 2018) | Image: Inditex