New York Fashion Week has just wrapped and attendees’ heads are spinning with all the creative confections that were presented by hundreds of designers. Meanwhile， retailers and brand marketers are working overtime using every tidbit of information they can about consumer preferences to give shoppers what they want， when they want it， faster than ever — yet in an engaging and uniquely personalized way. It gives a whole new meaning to creativity.
At the National Retail Federation Big Show 2018， Tommy Hilfiger spoke about how his company has embraced technology to keep his brand at the forefront.
“We depend on AI （artificial intelligence），” Hilfiger said， “We were the first to do a chatbot with Facebook （Messenger），” he said. “And we really believe in Snap：Shop （an app that lets consumers instantly shop items from the moment models hit the runway）. A few years back we decided we needed to be technically advanced with incorporating our DNA into whatever we’re doing.”
One of Hilfiger’s latest advances is a digital showroom that has no garments， but allows buyers to view a big screen that they can also view from home. From this， they make their apparel， shoe and accessory selections， put them in the different store doors and choose their floor plans， “and basically in a couple of clicks， have their entire seasons mapped out，” Hilfiger said. “When you have a lot of info in the cloud， with a click it becomes available to you.”
While designers might hope their designs alone will sell their product， stores and brands have come to realize higher levels of technology are necessary to build sales both online and in-store. Currently， just over half of all consumers （54 percent） say they love or enjoy clothes shopping， according to the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle MonitorTM Survey. Seven of 10 purchases are planned， with shoppers buying clothes 19.2 times per year in-store and 8.4 times online. MonitorTM data shows two of five consumers （43 percent） would be interested in apparel brands and retailers using virtual reality to enhance their shopping experience either online or in a physical store. This percentage increases with younger consumers.
But of all the clothes being sold and all the inspiration that’s to be found everywhere， most consumers （63 percent） say their main source for clothing ideas is what they already own and like， according to the MonitorTM research. Also， the largest percentage （24 percent） shop at mass merchants like Walmart and Target， followed by chain stores like JC Penney and Kohl’s （22 percent） and then department stores like Macy’s and Dillard’s （15 percent）.