Key Takeaways From Aptos Engage
● Simplification is changing how retailers engage with customers.
While Aptos Engage, held in Las Vegas last month, convened the top brands and retailers that use Aptos solutions, the event also served to showcase thought leadership as well as how companies are using Aptos solutions to succeed.
The event facilitated discussions about how to rethink retailing in this postpandemic period. Here, Nikki Baird, vice president of strategy at Aptos, explains the purpose of the event as well as some of the key takeaways.
WWD: What is Aptos Engage, and who attends?
Nikki Baird: Aptos Engage is our annual conference for retailers leveraging Aptos solutions. Our content is geared toward “this is our strategy, and this is how we're executing on that strategy.” And then we try to provide thought leadership content as well about how our customers are using our solutions and how they're driving value for their business.
In terms of attendees, Aptos' customers include brands as well as retailers that sell other people's brands. A key focus of the event is unified commerce within the fashion world.
WWD: What were some of the key takeaways that you could share?
N.B.: We reinforced our focus on unified commerce and what that means. And a lot of the content was focused on simplification. For Aptos, the store is the lens that we look out through, and there is more focus and emphasis on simplification in the store.
One area where we are seeing this simplification is in terms of what inventory is presented on the store floor. Aptos customer New Balance spoke at the event and discussed how they are testing concept stores that take a less-is-more approach to merchandise presented on the shelves.
They're creating a space that is not so overwhelming from a customer perspective but also from the store associate's perspective. They're making it easier for store associates to do their job, and they're simplifying the technology profile in the store, which is something Aptos is focused on enabling.
WWD: It puts a focus on the physical store, and the merchandising
environment. Making it more dynamic?
N.B.: Yes, totally. Being fresh. New Balance also emphasized a new store design, which was more focused on enabling community. One of the things New Balance did was to create a circular area for trying on shoes where everyone faces one another.
Something as simple as that helps facilitate the connections between people who already share a common lifestyle passion and a passion for a brand.
I think there's a lot of pressure and expectation for brands to do more to facilitate those connections between their own customers. The store needs to play a role in addressing that.
WWD: Any other important takeaways?
N.B.: Omnichannel was another huge topic. We talked a lot about omnichannel growth. What we've seen is that online spiked tremendously during the pandemic, and it is sort of coming back to the trend line now, but what's not coming back to the trend line is omnichannel. Omnichannel is continuing at elevated levels.
Omnichannel use cases — such as buy online, ship from store or pick up from store, and even buy in-store and ship to home — are still very much in play and even growing. We did see a little bit of a dip in 2022, when retailers tried to reallocate their inventory. They were like, “Look, if we're doing so much omnichannel business, let's just hold more inventory in the warehouse.”
But I think they've figured out that it's better to position that inventory in stores because it's closer to customers. If you have that opportunity to drive a pickup in-store rather than a ship from store, that has a whole bunch of benefits in getting that customer in the store. So those volumes have continued to grow even as e-commerce has kind of flattened out. It's been very interesting to see.
WWD: And that aligns with what you said earlier about more focus and also simplification in the store.
N.B.: Yes, it does. Retailers want store associates to be out on the floor and out from behind the cash wrap, but they still need to enable them as comprehensively as if they were standing in front of a full computer. So the idea of simplification applies where you take something that normally requires a whole screen and a full keyboard to execute and shrink it down into something that fits on a small screen that associates can carry around in their pockets. That is super important.
As a result, we focused a lot on ergonomics. It's become such a challenge in getting associate adoption. Just how do you juggle all these devices? Are you really going to wear a printer on your hip? There are solutions.
During the Engage event, The North
Face presented on how they enable their store associates. They equip associates with fanny packs to carry their devices. They can wear them around their waist, or they can wear them as a sling bag, which, of course, is super hip and cool these days. The bags are also products that they sell. So if customers are like, “Oh, this is super cool,” then the store associates can say, “Oh, well, here it is. You can have one too.”