A before and after series (2014-2019)
Five years. Half a decade. Not a lot of time, not a little either. In an industry like fashion that moves at warp speed, it’s like a lifetime in the blink of an eye.
Nextail turns five in October, so we’re feeling reflective. Just how much has retail changed since 2014, when Nextail was just a twinkle in the eyes of co-founders, Joaquín Villalba and Carlos Miragall?
We’ve gone from doomsday cries of “retailpocalypse” to a landscape where technology and data have both sparked and enabled true customer-centricity.
At the brink of 2020, things might look a bit different than they used to, but today, the customer really does come first. Even though there’s more tech, robots, and “smart” everything, are retailers actually getting more…human?
Sticking to the theme, we’ll be posting a before (2014) and after (2019) comparative study of the key five indicators that show how far retailers have advanced in terms of D2C strategies, omnichannel vision, the new role of the store, data forwardness, and AI adoption – all in the name of becoming more customer-centric.
Part 1: How D2C strategies get brands and customers to cozy up
Part 2: From multi-channel to omnichannel – A fluid path to purchase
Part 3: The new role of the store in the customer experience
Part 4: A 360º view: Going the distance for data
Part 5: Artificial intelligence: From showroom to backroom and the human touch