design:retail - October 2016 - 67

067 Has your company experimented with new technologies or strategies during the last year? 4.1% 13% 37.7% YES, we have NO, we YES, we have tested one or two new technologies and strategies, and they have failed have stuck to our core business model said they have tested several new technologies and strategies, but with limited success, while another 37.7 percent said they've been testing and seeing success. Tackling the realm of the merging digital and physical retail worlds remains a hot topic for survey respondents. In terms of engaging the new consumer across all platforms, more than half (63.9 percent) of companies said they are experimenting, but still have more work to do. Another 31.3 percent believe they are well positioned and ready for growth. And 4.8 percent said they do not currently have a plan (we think you might want to get on that). Blending the online and bricksand-mortar worlds remains at the forefront of the industry's top minds, with efforts being made on all fronts, including social media, mobile and maintaining brand consistency across all channels. While some respondents feel they "can never do 'enough' to prepare" for the new consumer mindset, others believe they are seeing progress from various strategies. The key, it appears, is constant re-evaluation and adapting to the fast pace of change. As one respondent reports, "We are constantly changing, flexing and looking to the next 'thing.'" The continually shifting environment certainly has its challenges, with another tested several new technologies and strategies and have seen success 45.2% YES, we have tested several new technologies and strategies, but with limited success respondent saying: "I do not think any company will ever crack the code-time, money and people. The digital world is changing faster than ever before; companies will need to evolve at a faster rate and prioritize what is doable. The issue is there is no one end goal either, so companies cannot put all their eggs in one basket. They must have many projects going, fail fast (hopefully cheap) and move on to the next thing." Other pressing topics keeping the industry up at night include the challenge of understanding the consumer behavior of upcoming Gen Z, how to get consumers to look up from their phones, engaging shoppers in-store and giving them a reason to visit the bricks-and-mortar space, and the cost of investing in technology and digital (among many other topics). Check out additional comments from our survey respondents on these very topics in the sidebars on previous pages. LOOKING TO 2017 Looking ahead to 2017 and beyond, the retail design industry is poised for continued steady growth, with increasing store openings and renovations, and new strategies and concepts being tested at the forefront of consumer experience. Bring on those headlines! We can't wait to see what 2017 brings. http://www.triononline.com/ART/ http://www.triononline.com/ART/

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