Event Recap – Future of Retail: Succeeding in an Online-Only World

By Salvatore Ciolfi April 23, 2020
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BrainStation’s most recent online panel discussion – Future of Retail: Succeeding in an Online-Only World  – was another rousing success, with thousands of professionals tuning in from around the globe.

As always, Ian Bester, BrainStation’s Vice-President and GM, hosted the panel of retail executives, which included:

  • Nicole West, VP Digital Strategy and Product at Chipotle Mexican Grill
  • Shimona Mehta, Head of EMEA, Shopify Plus
  • Deborah Honig, the Head of Nike Direct EMEA West

The panel agreed that the COVID-19 outbreak has increased the speed of digitization, with many of the retailers succeeding now only doubling down on existing digital strategies.

Nicole West, of Chipotle, discussed how the company has in the past worked hard to fuse the digital and in-store experience, asking themselves, “How we can bring the digital experience into our brick and mortar restaurants? Engagement, payments, and rewards – those are the three areas where we can really bring digital to life,” she said.  

Shimona Mehta, of Shopify Plus, added that given the increased demand for online retail, brands have to work hard to create great digital experiences. 

“My advice to growing businesses is to be remarkable: think about your brand story and why customers would purchase from you over someone else. You must also create frictionless checkout experience, which includes offering the appropriate payment options, to increase conversion,” she said. 

The panel also agreed that a data-driven approach is now fundamental to product roadmaps and marketing decisions, and a greater focus on digital channels will only increase data’s importance.

“What most excites me about the future is our chance to serve consumers even better. By getting people engaged in digital platforms, we get to know them better and are able to serve up more personalized content,” said Deborah Honig of Nike. 

You can watch the online Future of Retail: Succeeding in an Online-Only World panel discussion here: 

Register now for the next BrainStation event.