How do digital technologies enhance the customer/user experience for clothing brands both in-store ans online ?

Abstract

From the invention of the worldwide web in 1989 to where stand now, digital technologies have profoundly changed the way we work, think, communicate, learn, etc. But most inevitably, it has changed the way we shop. The ever-changing world of retail had to adapt and the fashion sector makes no exception. Nowadays, brands that want to strive have to focus on their customers in a sustainable and scalable way by realising a full integration of digital technologies as part of their digital transformation. More than ever before, the customer experience needs to be immersive, personalised and interactive. But what role do digital technologies actually hold in this landscape and how do they enhance the customer/user experience? This work aims at answering this question, both for in-store and online experience. The first part will start by examining the context with fashion retailers and the fashion retail market in figures. E-commerce drivers and barriers will also be reviewed along with Belgian consumers expenditures in fashion retail. Then, we will review the academic literature dedicated to customer experience, omnichannel retailing and digital technologies. In the second part, the aim is to take a closer look at the situation with the use of case studies. The first chapter of this section will give an overview of the most avant-garde actors in the fashion retail industry all over the world by showcasing one pure player (ASOS) and one omnichannel retailer (H&M) that are currently using state-of-the-art technology. We will also list other actors identified during this research that are using technology to improve the customer experience. As for the remainder of this part, we will consider a promising digital technology: 3D body scanning.