Store Design

The first computer I ever bought was a Tandy TRS-80 I got at RadioShack in the mid-1980s. There was no floppy drive, no operating system, no internet connection and no hard drive. I used a tape recorder to save data, but I still felt pretty cutting edge, even if it was largely an expensive paperweight, since I had no programming skills and used it like a big calculator. While those were also the halcyon days of RadioShack, the electronics retailer would like 2014 to be the start of a new golden age.

With Forrester predicting online shopping will reach $370 billion by 2017, retailers are fighting to get consumers to visit stores — and provide a quality experience when they get there. The trick is matching the convenience, speed and depth of information in-store that the online world easily provides. Also taking priority: time-saving techniques like virtual try-on; faster, more secure checkout; and protecting customers’ information. Consumers "expect the in-store experience to match the convenience of online," said Chris Donnelly, global managing director of Accenture Retail. Evidence the growth of mobile payments, which Accenture said will quadruple to $630 billion by 2014.

This past January, as I've done for the past five years or so, I trekked into New York City's Jacob Javits Convention Center for the National Retail Federation's (NRF) Big Show. I was met, as I was in past years as well, by retailers from around the world. I spent time at this year's conference attending presentations and press conferences; meeting and interviewing retail industry execs in the press room; and walking the vast exhibit hall floors trying to find the "next big things" in retail technology. Here are a few of my takeaways

Revenue growth may have slowed last year at Apple's retail stores, but the division remains one of the world's strongest and a key strategic focus of the tech giant's future. With revenue exceeding $20 billion for the fiscal year ended Sept. 28, Apple's brick-and-mortar unit exceeded the total annual revenue at big-name retailers such as Nordstrom, Gap and AutoNation. The stores are practically hallowed ground for entrepreneurs who supply accoutrements for Apple's "iOSphere." They say the cache and cash flow at Apple's retail outlets combine to make it a unique and unrivaled platform for introducing their products.

The retail landscape of 2014 is more digital than ever before, and integrating store and online operations is a key focus for retailers as e-commerce-capable solutions increasingly supplant traditional point-of-sale and mobile technologies. According to a new study conducted by the NRF, Demandware and the University of Arizona that polled more than 200 U.S. and European retail business technology executives, more than one-third (35.8 percent) said they're considering a single platform to manage interactions and transactions across all channels.

Endless lines. Pushy crowds. Hearing "The 12 Days of Christmas" for the umpteenth time in a matter of hours. Spend a little time shopping this holiday season and odds are good you'll want a good stiff drink. Not that you need to abandon your basket to grab one. More clothing retailers are branching out into the cocktail scene, offering consumers the opportunity to pause mid-shopping trip for a drink and small plates of food. Saks, Urban Outfitters and Brooks Brothers are among the brands that have recently announced plans to build out bar and restaurant spaces in stores.   

There's a sense of alternate reality built in to each of URBN Inc.'s (owner of Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, BDLHN and Terrain) stores. Now URBN is taking this experience to the next level by building a branded village where ladies (and men) can live its ethereal lifestyle and buy it, too. Our sister site Racked Philly reports that the company purchased 6.5 acres in Devon, Pa. (about 30 minutes outside the heart of Philadelphia as the Google Maps flies) onto which they plan to erect a Terrain garden center, an Anthropologie, a boutique hotel, a couple farm-to-table restaurants, and more.