THE DIGITAL BOOM: FROM CONCEPT TO SHELF

The Rise of Digital Merchandising

With increased competitiveness, emergence of new brands entering the market and cautious consumers, it is becoming even more important to not only have a unique way of presenting but also change the look of the store often. though it may sound simple, changing the entire look takes a lot of time and effort. in fast changing world, technology plays a pivotal role and internationally there is a rise in digital merchandising.

What is Digital Merchandising?

Digital is fast becoming a disruptive innovation, transforming the way fashion brands and retailers traditionally have created and deployed collections, from concept to shelf. New line planning and merchandising software, equipped with the latest 3D visualization capabilities, enables a more creative, innovation-based workflow. This latest technology is upending traditional processes, prompting executives to re-evaluate and change some time-tested ways of doing things. Those who are able to lead their companies through the transition will strengthen their brand positioning, protect brand integrity and inspire the consumer with compelling products. 

3D product planning and program management software has been steadily improving in recent years. Its progress and trajectory align well with the theories of Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, who coined the term “disruptive innovation.” Christensen makes the case that a disruptive innovation displaces an earlier technology, in part by being much more affordable and accessible to an expanded group of users. 

For fashion retail, 3D design, planning and merchandising technology has matured to a point that it is light years ahead of where it was a decade ago. Today’s technology offers not only powerful graphics and realistic renderings of 3D products and collections, but also pragmatic financial capabilities. Within reach for apparel businesses of all sizes,the software enables more companies to reap great efficiency from design through merchandising and to deliver

 sophisticated, interactive product presentations to their   customers. In this way, 3D merchandising technology is a

great democratiser. Companies of all sizes can leverage it to make their brands stand out with sparkle and sophistication. “It’s highly disruptive. It’s a completely new paradigm of planning for the apparel industry,” says Joshua Young, a former Nike executive and now an independent digital product creation consultant. “The benefits are so obvious in terms of time, money, accuracy and brand message that

apparel firms cannot ignore them. If they do, they are going to find themselves at a competitive disadvantage.”

Apparel brands and retailers are still focused on great designs, assortment savvy and financially viable merchandising plans. Apparel design, product development, line planning and merchandising teams long have rowed

  together, often struggling with different information systems to complete collections — season after season,navigating through new trends, delivery deadlines and shifting market conditions. 

Now, with digital merchandising technology, they can raise their collaboration and efficiency to a whole new level.To gain the biggest benefits,companies often must break their top-down, bottom-up assortment process flow— adopting a flexible development cycle centred on the end consumer

experience. By comparison, when companies change their approach and employ the latest 3D digital technologies,

their planning and workflow processes remove those barriers and become more like efficient “elevators” — continuously

carrying consumer insights, new concepts,designs and plans between different “floors,” or teams, within the organisation.