Is inventory-less shopping becoming the norm?
Nordstrom, where are all the clothes disappearing to?
It takes a special kind of patience to sort through clearance racks at Kohl’s, or pretty much any rack at department stores like Filene’s Basement or T.J. Maxx. While some consumers are invested enough to sort through racks of clothes in varying sizes, colors and designs in no particular order, others just can’t be bothered. And retail stores such as Nordstrom Local are taking notice, with their new inventory-less stores and personalized services.
Window-less shopping is gaining in popularity
In today’s retail world, window shopping is becoming a lost art. Minus clothing, consumers are more likely to purchase their favorite products from the comfort of their homes. IKEA has gone as far as removing parking lots altogether and delivering all purchases to customers’ homes later.
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Occasionally though, consumers do want to go inside brick and mortar stores and leave with their products. Not having virtual fitting rooms to depend on certainly makes clothing tougher to shop for online. And RFID technology in fitting rooms makes it that much cooler to imagine the places they’ll wear their clothing.
Recommended Read: “If the technology fits, wear it ~ The missed potential of virtual fitting rooms”
Still though, both customers and retailers have developed a get-it-and-go attitude when it comes to shopping. It’s apparent when strolling through a Toys ‘R’ Us b8ta store and seeing toy displays instead of tripping over mountains of toys in the aisles. It’s even showing up in the form of stores selling “wedding experiences” instead of stocking up on a boatload of appliances and shelves full of “Mr./Mrs.” gifts.