Meeting the rising expectations of consumers

ACROSS: WHY DID JACK WOLFSKIN DECIDE TO PARTICIPATE IN ECE’S DIGITAL MALL PROJECT? WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO GET OUT OF IT?

MARKUS BÖTSCH: The Digital Mall will allow our stores and franchise partners to benefit from the greater reach of their products on the Internet, which will ultimately result in higher customer footfall at the stores.

ACROSS: DO YOU REGARD THE DIGITAL MALL AS A WAY TO ENSURE THAT BRICK-AND-MORTAR RETAIL WILL REMAIN SUCCESSFUL IN THE FUTURE?

BÖTSCH: In an ever-changing market, consumer expectation of retailing is constantly on the rise. On the one hand, consumers make significantly more purchases online nowadays, but, on the other hand, they also expect new services to be offered by brick-and-mortar retailers. The availability of products across all channels is the be-all and end-all these days, which is why the Digital Mall is of such great importance. Consumers can receive advice from the outdoor experts who work at our stores or obtain information around the clock via our online shop.

ACROSS: HOW WAS THE TECHNOLOGICAL CONNECTION TO THE DIGITAL MALL CARRIED OUT?

BÖTSCH: Technological connection was established via Stocksquare, a data connector, using EDI architecture that was developed in-house, thereby enabling us to implement such solutions both quickly and flexibly.