With social media becoming the major way brands communicate with their customers, omnichannel retailing is now more important than ever. It allows brands to give more precise content to suite each customer's needs. For example, the older demographic will be more likely to want information in newsletters about events and sales in store, and the younger generation are all about social media.

However, some brands have met this in the middle by going into publication, as all generations are fans of magazines. For example, Harrods publish a range of catalogues and magazine-style look books, which are available in store, as well as often being sold inside Vogue. Net-a-Porter has also launched a similar concept, but on a larger scale. Porter magazine has now branched out from the online department store and stands more on it's own as a reputable source of info on all fashion related news. As the store stocks the majority of designers you could think of, it's easy for them to create editorials and look books. Although they aren't especially ground-breaking, it does create a new competitor for the classic, older generation mags, like Vogue and Harpers. Having a physical copy of a magazine to hold does give a new element to a brand, as it feels more special and personal. I'm a huge fan of magazines and would love to go into the industry in the future, so to me it makes a lot of sense for brands to incorporate this into their marketing strategy. It allows the brand to show off their aesthetic and their products in action, in a way that customers can really immerse themselves in.

Although social media is very important, the physical store is still a huge factor in whether a brand can still expand their number of loyal customers. Harrods is well-known for their impressive window displays, featuring designer collaborations throughout the year, all building up to the Christmas theme. People often visit Harrods purposely to see the window display, without the intention of buying anything. Harrods is so famous already that they don't need to focus as much on gaining more customers (although it's always important), it's more about sustaining the reputation they already have. Apple is another company where you could argue that they don't necessarily need to focus on visual merchandising or store concepts. However, as Apple products have now become such a fashion item in themselves, the stores need to reflect this. Similar to Harrods, many people will be visiting the new Regent Street store just to see it's new design, without the intention of buying anything. Apple creating such an aesthetically pleasing store, with the high ceilings and outdoor greenery brought inside, a retail trend that's been going on in stores for the past year, cements them as being the most in-fashion technology available, almost monopolising the industry.

It will be exciting to see how brands proceed with omnichannel retailing in such a fast paced environment. Companies can no longer get away with having physical shops and an online store; consumers want more, in ways that will continually evolve the way we look at retail.

image is from dressful.com