{"id":14835,"date":"2016-11-18T17:31:42","date_gmt":"2016-11-18T22:31:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/ralf-lauren-digitization-affecting-the-luxury-retail-business\/"},"modified":"2016-11-20T20:24:32","modified_gmt":"2016-11-21T01:24:32","slug":"ralph-lauren-corporation-digitization-in-the-luxury-retail-business","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/ralph-lauren-corporation-digitization-in-the-luxury-retail-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Ralph Lauren Corporation\u2013 digitization in the luxury retail business"},"content":{"rendered":"

Context-<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Ralph Lauren Corporation is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories and fragrances. For almost 50 years, Ralph Lauren’s reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. [1]<\/p>\n

Digitisation & IoT technology are already reshaping and revolutionising the retail industry, yielding advances and new opportunities in customer service, throughout the supply chain and in brick-and-mortar stores and other channels. In addition to potentially revolutionising customer-facing applications, IoT technologies may play a big role in retail supply chain and delivery operations. [3] Ralph Lauren leads in bringing digital innovations into stores and connecting the online and offline, followed by Bergdorf Goodman and Burberry. [8]<\/p>\n

Digitization efforts by Ralph Lauren-\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The polo tech shirt<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"ppolo2-22048744_alternate11_t940\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Launched in 2015, the shirt is a \u00a0“second-skin” fabric workout shirt has silver fibres woven directly into the fabric and a small, sensor-filled black box that snaps into the shirt near the rib cage, to track biometric stats like steps taken, heart rate, breathing depth, and energy exertion. There’s a Ralph Lauren mobile app that syncs data from the PoloTech shirt. [4]<\/p>\n

Smart fitting rooms<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"oak-labs-product-image-1024x576\"<\/a><\/p>\n

From the outside, the smart fitting room looks like your average dressing room with a full-length mirror. Items brought into the fitting room are detected by reading their RFID tags, prompting an item quantity number to pop up on the touch-screen mirror. First, the lighting changes. Shoppers can then view unique item details, request alternate colors or sizes, view stylist recommendations or request to help from an associate for a more engaging person-to-person experience.[7] One is given three lighting options to choose from: Fifth Avenue Daylight, East Hampton Sunset, and Evening at The Polo Bar. [5]<\/p>\n

Interactive shoppable windows<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Blurring the lines between the physical world and the real world, the shoppable windows help consumers interact with the brand on the street.<\/p>\n

\"cgrhymjuyamivvd\"<\/a>\"061215-ralph-lauren-bloomingdales-lead\"<\/a>\"061215-ralph-lauren-bloomingdales-embed-1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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The screens displayed large-scale images of the brand’s signature products such as its iconic Polo and Oxford shirts, ties and chinos. Passers-by could ‘customise’ the items by choosing from a palette of 18 selected colours. Additionally, a mix-and-match feature allowed them to view products in combination \u2013 boosted by realistic projected imagery that showed styling in motion, such as a tie being wound around the neck of a chosen shirt. A corresponding interactive mobile app allowed users to purchase the products directly from their mobile device. [13] Using mobile proximity technology, the displays let passers-by unlock exclusive and interactive content. Going beyond the traditional window display enables a brand to expand the customer experience through multiple channels.[12]<\/p>\n

Way forward –\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The new retail experience<\/span><\/p>\n

What does the future retail experience look like? The exhibit below gives a sneak peak into how Ralph Lauren can further accentuate its digital retail strategy \u00a0–<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Decentralisation of manufacturing\/supply chain<\/span><\/p>\n

The current lead times from design to sale for Ralph Lauren can go as high as 15 months. [9] One way to have a more connected supply chain will be to have the so-called omnichannel operations, in which orders are fulfilled both from stores and warehouses where many retailers prefer to handle their own distribution so they have better grip on inventory at any given time. \u00a0The trend toward decentralisation can also be\u00a0spurred on by an increase of customisation options toward the end of the manufacturing cycle.<\/p>\n

Concerns –\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Data privacy<\/span><\/p>\n

More connected devises imply that more consumer data will be collected by IoT devices. The smart mirror can track each item taken into the dressing room and keep track of how shoppers are interacting with the clothes. A huge communication gap and consent gap exists in today’s retail world, and Ralph Lauren will need to figure out its strategy. [14]<\/p>\n

Data security<\/span><\/p>\n

Securing a bundle of devices that operate over heterogeneous networks is a major challenge in the retail space. The need to secure device data and enterprise communication will increase as a result of heightened data collection. The need for security rises in case of camera equipped devices used in an IoT ecosystem. [15]<\/p>\n

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(683 words)<\/strong><\/p>\n

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[1]\u00a0https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ralph_Lauren_Corporation<\/p>\n

[2]\u00a0http:\/\/press.ralphlauren.com\/polotech\/<\/p>\n

[3]\u00a0http:\/\/www.cio.com\/article\/3090123\/internet-of-things\/how-the-internet-of-things-is-revolutionizing-retail.html<\/p>\n

[4]\u00a0http:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2015\/8\/20\/9178923\/ralph-laurens-polotech-smart-shirt-is-the-ultimate-preppy-tech<\/p>\n

[5]\u00a0http:\/\/www.refinery29.com\/2015\/11\/97926\/fitting-rooms-smart-mirror-ralph-lauren-clueless<\/p>\n

[6]\u00a0http:\/\/www.computerworld.com\/article\/3006294\/data-privacy\/could-cool-smart-mirror-in-futuristic-fitting-room-lead-to-creepy-data-tracking.html<\/p>\n

[7]\u00a0http:\/\/readwrite.com\/2016\/05\/17\/how-iot-is-changing-the-fashion-retail-experience-vr4\/<\/p>\n

[8]\u00a0http:\/\/contactlab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/LUXURY_GOODS_-_Digital_and_Physical_Integration___for_ContactLab.pdf<\/p>\n

[9]\u00a0http:\/\/www.just-style.com\/analysis\/faster-supply-chain-is-key-to-ralph-lauren-turnaround_id128087.aspx<\/p>\n

[10]\u00a0http:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2014\/digitization-decentralization-and-omni-channel-retail-the-future-of-supply-chains<\/p>\n

[11]\u00a0https:\/\/www.luxurydaily.com\/ralph-lauren-bridges-fashion-technology-for-handbag-innovation\/<\/p>\n

[12]\u00a0https:\/\/www.luxurydaily.com\/ralph-lauren-uses-interactive-windows-to-launch-line-at-harrods\/<\/p>\n

[13]\u00a0http:\/\/www.stylus.com\/bzhnxq<\/p>\n

[14]\u00a0http:\/\/fortune.com\/2015\/07\/06\/consumer-data-privacy\/<\/p>\n

[15]\u00a0http:\/\/www.alliedc.com\/new-post-7-major-challenges-in-adopting-iot-for-retail-companies\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How does digitization affect the retail value chain? 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