Online retail is continuing to grow apace (by 21% in the U.S. last year, to $175bn), so will brands need to offer a physical retail presence in the shopping mall for much longer? Using Apple's i-Phone as an example, this paper argues that branded stores and immersive experiences - and particularly the people within them - will remain a key component of retail marketing, in combination with digital and virtual channels.
Soar in Store: the importance of physical retail in a digital ageSoar in Store: the importance of physical retail in a digital age
Eduardo A. Braniff Imagination
iPhone: worth the wait
Retail highs shouldn't start this low. To be told that something you've been waiting in line to buy may or may not be available is hardly the start of a good purchase experience. But when it happened to me outside Apple's Los Angeles store, I did not mind. After all, it was a typical sunny LA day. I was bonding with fellow Apple fans, who spanned the...