The Uptick: Eco-conscious stores and influencer fashion wars

This month we’ll look at how augmented reality (AR) is transforming how shoppers try and buy fashion; why Rent the Runway believes owning clothes will be “totally optional” in the not-too-distant future; how The Body Shop is reclaiming its activist heritage by way of a till from Welsh landfill and a block of shea butter; whether the big four grocers should open vegan supermarkets; and how new Ikea UK boss Peter Jelkeby is making the furniture titan relevant for millennials.

May I have your attention, please?

Previously a technology that has been used primarily in the retail sector to help shoppers decide whether a sofa would look good in their living room, AR is having a moment in fashion.

Speaking at Retail Week’s Tech. festival, Snapchat discussed its work with Adidas creating a buzz around a new line of trainers by allowing shoppers to point their phone at their shoes and turn them into new Adidas trainers, which resulted in 60 million digital try-ons before they hit the shelves.

Norwegian fashion firm Carlings has also used AR for ‘virtually fitted fashion items’, which shoppers are paying up to £20 for a one-time ‘wear’ to post on social media.

Take a look at our round-up of the biggest themes and innovations on display at Tech. 2019 here.

Using social to drive sales has also been a key strategy for In The Style’s Adam Frisby, who we interviewed last month. Frisby spoke about his career journey from Burger King to the founder of a fast-growing etail fashion empire, and how to use creativity over cash to lock down tie-ups with big-name influencers.

From fashion trends to style mainstays, we also lifted the lid on how cult brands like Dr Martens and Brompton Bikes win and keep their cult status among their customers.

Singing from your customer’s hymn sheet

As the latest iteration of Extinction Rebellion protests continues, it’s clear that sustainability is a higher priority on the customer agenda than ever before.

In a bid to cater to this growing appetite, The Body Shop unveiled its new format store on Bond Street with a keen focus on sustainability. The branch is clad with upcycled, recycled and reclaimed fixtures including a till reclaimed from Welsh landfill, alongside a refill station for shower gels – the first one at The Body Shop’s branches in 20 years.

We went to have a look and spoke to boss Linda Campbell about why retailers that don’t “take a stand and do something about the issues they care about” will risk losing their customers.

We also spoke to Ikea’s UK boss Peter Jelkeby to discuss the Swedish furniture titan’s plans to remain relevant with generation rent through an increased bricks-and-mortar push into town centres and even developing flat-pack flats to offer more affordable housing options for residents in Worthing.

And we took a deep dive into how Amazon operates, from founder Jeff Bezos’ inspiration watching The Jetsons cartoons as a child to establishing itself as every retailer’s biggest threat.

Great minds

Next boss Lord Wolfson is heralded by many as one of retail’s most strategically intelligent leaders, and his statements around the fashion retailer’s interim results last month were no exception. Our columnist Natalie Berg delves into the retailer’s strategy to drive ecommerce sales via its bricks-and-mortar estate.

Greggs boss Roger Whiteside talked to us about how the UK’s favourite sausage roll purveyor, which opened its 2,000th store in South Shields in August, is driving its impressive growth and Rent the Runway’s chief technology officer Josh Builder talked to us about how the business is revolutionising fashion retail – while not being an ecommerce business.  

And as Dave Lewis announces he will step down from Tesco after bringing the supermarket chain back from the brink, we take a look at his legacy and how he is planning for the grocer’s future, not just his succession.

One last thing…

If you’re looking for another dose of inspiration, peruse of our Tech 100 list, where we give you the lowdown on the most influential people shaping the future of commerce through technology and digital innovation.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the latest instalment of The Uptick newsletter. If there are stories, innovations, people or inspiration you want to us to report next month, please get in touch.

Grace Bowden, head of content