The Record - Issue 20: Spring 2021

38 www. t e c h n o l o g y r e c o r d . c om Salvatore Ferragamo is using HoloLens to enable customers to choose and customise the Tramezza men’s footwear collection E X E CUT I V E I NT E R V I EW industry. During 2020 physical stores have been impacted heavily, which has resulted in more businesses implementing click-and-collect and other purchasing methods. But where do we go from here? Bransten believes there are four key areas in which retail will continue to evolve in the coming years. “Firstly, I think there is going to be much more investment and progress in personalisation. Very soon we’re going to see more tailored experi- ences, products and offerings based on individu- als’ preferences.” Restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill is ahead of the curve in this area. The brand has been using Dynamics 365 Customer Insights to better understand customer preferences and per- sonalise its marketing efforts. In doing so, it has grown its customer base by 30 per cent and con- verted more guests into its loyalty programme. “Sustainability and traceability are also becoming increasingly important factors,” says Bransten. “Consumers are demanding it, espe- cially members of Generation Z. They have more time to spend online researching products and they want to know their source. “The third point is in mixed and virtual reality. This has been on the horizon for a while but pre- viously the hardware hadn’t really caught up for use in retail stores. Now, however, we are starting to see more virtual opportunities like that in use at Salvatore Ferragamo.” Working with partner Hevolus and using HoloLens, the luxury retailer offers its customers an innovative service for choosing and custom- ising the Tramezza men’s footwear collection, which can be used in-store or online. Also take REI, an outdoor recreation brand. “They launched a new virtual outfitting service using Teams to help customers assemble bikes, find the right hiking boots or purchase equip- ment for camping trips. Tangible product brands are now asking ‘how do we use digital solutions to drive innovation at the front line and for the home office?’ “And this brings us to the fourth trend – the ‘work from work’ thing is over. Brands all over the world like REI, IKEA, Levi’s and Walmart are embracing these technologies and realising that they can actually improve collaboration and productivity this way.” REI closed its headquarters during the Covid- 19 pandemic and embraced remote working as a permanent option. “They made the really bold decision in the middle of the pandemic to not renew the lease for their headquarters,” says Bransten. With so much potential change on the horizon, Bransten is looking forward to seeing how the retail industry begins to flourish. “We’re now seeing an incredible rebalancing of the industry,” she says. “Retail real estate will change – stores will likely get smaller and they will comprise a mixture of distribution and experience centres. The physical spaces will look and feel much different in the future, but I am confident that the retailers that are investing now are going to come out stronger. And that’s what we are seeing in the numbers. “As the person who runs this vertical at Microsoft, I was a little worried last March. Especially for the survival of non-essential retail- ers given the way that governments around the world separated essential and non-essential retail. “But they too are buying our technology. They are looking for personalisation, customer 360 and kerbside capabilities. Retailers are acceler- ating their digital investments and we’re posi- tioned for another exciting year in retail.”