Key Takeaways From Aptos Interact

Whereas Aptos Interact, held in Las Vegas final month, convened the highest manufacturers and retailers that use Aptos options, the occasion additionally served to showcase thought management in addition to how firms are utilizing Aptos options to succeed.

The occasion facilitated discussions about the way to rethink retailing on this post-pandemic interval. Right here, Nikki Baird, vp of technique at Aptos, explains the aim of the occasion in addition to a number of the key takeaways.

WWD: What’s Aptos Interact, and who attends?

Nikki Baird: Aptos Interact is our annual convention for retailers leveraging Aptos options. Our content material is geared towards “that is our technique, and that is how we’re executing on that technique.” After which we attempt to present thought management content material as nicely about how our clients are utilizing our options and the way they’re driving worth for his or her enterprise.

When it comes to attendees, Aptos’ clients embody manufacturers in addition to retailers that promote different individuals’s manufacturers. A key focus of the occasion is unified commerce throughout the trend world.

WWD: What have been a number of the key takeaways that you possibly can share?

N.B.: We strengthened our deal with unified commerce and what meaning. And a number of the content material was targeted on simplification. For Aptos, the shop is the lens that we glance out by means of, and there’s extra focus and emphasis on simplification within the retailer.

One space the place we’re seeing this simplification is by way of what stock is introduced on the shop flooring. Aptos buyer New Steadiness spoke on the occasion and mentioned how they’re testing idea shops that take a less-is-more method to merchandise introduced on the cabinets.

They’re creating an area that’s not so overwhelming from a buyer perspective but additionally from the shop affiliate’s perspective. They’re making it simpler for retailer associates to do their job, they usually’re simplifying the know-how profile within the retailer, which is one thing Aptos is concentrated on enabling.

WWD: It places a deal with the bodily retailer, and the merchandising surroundings. Making it extra dynamic?

N.B.: Sure, completely. Being contemporary. New Steadiness additionally emphasised a brand new retailer design, which was extra targeted on enabling group. One of many issues New Steadiness did was to create a round space for making an attempt on sneakers the place everybody faces each other.

One thing so simple as that helps facilitate the connections between individuals who already share a standard way of life ardour and a ardour for a model.

I believe there’s a number of stress and expectation for manufacturers to do extra to facilitate these connections between their very own clients. The shop must play a job in addressing that.

WWD: Another necessary takeaways?

N.B.: Omnichannel was one other big subject. We talked loads about omnichannel development. What we’ve seen is that on-line spiked tremendously through the pandemic, and it’s type of coming again to the development line now, however what’s not coming again to the development line is omnichannel. Omnichannel is constant at elevated ranges.

Omnichannel use circumstances — similar to purchase on-line, ship from retailer or decide up from retailer, and even purchase in-store and ship to dwelling — are nonetheless very a lot in play and even rising. We did see a bit little bit of a dip in 2022, when retailers tried to reallocate their stock. They have been like, “Look, if we’re doing a lot omnichannel enterprise, let’s simply maintain extra stock within the warehouse.”

However I believe they’ve found out that it’s higher to place that stock in shops as a result of it’s nearer to clients. If in case you have that chance to drive a pickup in-store fairly than a ship from retailer, that has a complete bunch of advantages in getting that buyer within the retailer. So these volumes have continued to develop at the same time as e-commerce has type of flattened out. It’s been very attention-grabbing to see.

WWD: And that aligns with what you mentioned earlier about extra focus and likewise simplification within the retailer.

N.B.: Sure, it does. Retailers need retailer associates to be out on the ground and out from behind the money wrap, however they nonetheless must allow them as comprehensively as in the event that they have been standing in entrance of a full pc. So the thought of simplification applies the place you’re taking one thing that usually requires a complete display screen and a full keyboard to execute and shrink it down into one thing that matches on a small display screen that associates can carry round of their pockets. That’s tremendous necessary.

In consequence, we targeted loads on ergonomics. It’s grow to be such a problem in getting affiliate adoption. Simply how do you juggle all these units? Are you actually going to put on a printer in your hip? There are answers.

In the course of the Interact occasion, The North Face introduced on how they permit their retailer associates. They equip associates with fanny packs to hold their units. They’ll put on them round their waist, or they will put on them as a sling bag, which, after all, is tremendous hip and funky lately. The baggage are additionally merchandise that they promote. So if clients are like, “Oh, that is tremendous cool,” then the shop associates can say, “Oh, nicely, right here it’s. You’ll be able to have one too.”