How ‘See-Now-Buy-Now’ Is Rewiring Retail

Thanks to social media, consumers are more engaged than ever and have access to information almost at the same level as an industry insider.  Senior merchants at retailers and brands have a very difficult time presenting consumers with a point of view because they already have it.  Just look at the fragmentation of trends – the chief merchant of a $4 billion apparel brand recently told me “the new trend is that there is no trend.” As a result, consumers want what they value, and they are doing the investigation and curation themselves. And, what they see on the runway now, they want now – not months down the road. At the same time, as I’ve mentioned in past articles, the supply chain is further away than ever as brands and retailers moved production to low-labor-cost locations years ago. Since they are far from the demand signal, it can take months for a new style to make it to stores. Retailers are looking at ways to close the long gap between when clothes are shown and when they arrive in stores, and many are considering adopting a see-now-buy-now model. Read more at Forbes.