California Apparel News

The chief executive of Macy’s Inc., Jeff Gennette, spent 2018 with a mission to reshape the department-store chain with technology and new in-store experiences that would attract shoppers. That started to take shape in September, when the country’s leading retailer announced several new ambitious technology programs.

One part of Macy’s new consumer-tech program is virtual reality. That will be employed in Macy’s furniture departments, which will offer augmented-reality headsets and virtual reality to help customers see how a piece of furniture would look in a particular room.

By January, about 90 Macy’s locations will offer this VR experience with the hopes that the technology will increase furniture sales by more than 60 percent, Macy’s said.

In beauty departments, Macy’s customers will be able to virtually try on eye shadow and lipstick with an augmented-reality mirror.

For back-office operations, Macy’s said it will update its RFID, or radio frequency identification technology, to better manage inventory.

Also, in May, Macy’s acquired Story, a New York City concept store known for its unique visual-display model, which is like a gallery but sells things like a store. The space reinvents itself every four to six weeks with a new theme and new merchandise.

In November, Macy’s released its third-quarter-earnings results showing that same-store sales for the quarter rose 3.1 percent. Net sales were $5.4 billion for the quarter compared with $5.3 billion for the same period last year. Macy’s updated its guidance for fiscal 2018, saying it believes same-store sales would increase 2.3 percent to 2.5 percent instead of its previous guidance of 2.1 percent to 2.5 percent.

Nordstrom Inc. also believes that technology and developing new experiences are important for growth.

The Seattle-headquartered retailer deepened its commitment to its new Nordstrom Local stores, which carry no inventory but offer many of the services found at a regular Nordstrom.

Consumers can view Nordstrom styles online, order goods and pick them up the next day. The retailer has pitched the idea of the Nordstrom Local being a neighborhood hub for its services.

The company also opened its first stand-alone men’s store. Known as the Nordstrom Men’s Store NYC, the Manhattan-based three-level store offers brands such as Adidas, Topman, Vans and Giorgio Armani. Technology also is important there. The store offers an Eton Endless Aisle digital touchscreen, which displays a large array of dress shirts and ties.

In other developments, Nordstrom decided this year to not take the company private as previously planned. The effort was led by a group of Nordstrom family members who own 31.2 percent of the retailer. But a special committee advising Nordstrom’s board rejected the initial proposal after the offer of $50 a share was considered too low.

Nordstrom’s third-quarter results showed that same-store sales inched up 2.3 percent over the previous year, and net sales for the quarter were $3.65 billion compared with $3.54 billion for the same period last year.