Summary: Retail and its effect on real estate...<br> Rebecca Fitts, Principal Consultant for The Wild West of Retail (a consultancy focusing on non-traditional retail real estate strategies, brick and mortar customer experience and omni-channel solutions in the physical space) joins Thomas Kutzman and Scott Pollack in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser. Presented by Prevu.<br> In this episode:<br> <br> Is ecommerce causing retauil apolcolypse, or revolution?<br> The many changes going on in retail, surplus of retail real estate, need to find way out of that<br> Figure out way that retailers can handle taking on overhead<br> Digitally native brands opening up physical stores, customers want to have a touch/feel experience with brands<br> How a physical store can help reduce amount of returns<br> How there are no "pure plays" anymore<br> Why physical retailers have harder time moving to ecommerce than ecommerce moving physical<br> Westfield's World Trade Center Oculus mall, public/private partnership, commuter hub<br> Downtown redeveloping itself post-9/11 in NYC, a great comeback<br> Mixed use of property, the way cities are growing<br> The changing relationship between tenants and landlord, the difficulty of physical spaces taking long term leases<br> An interest in commuter hubs for brands<br> The need for experiences to be dynamic and changing, and are some physical stores too static to adapt?<br> Retail trying to think in a new and different way<br> Advancements in technology allowing you to reconfigure the store more frequently and easily<br> Virtual reality, augmented reality, and smart mirrors allowing great things to be done in the store to expand experiences<br> How Fitts is outgoing and enjoying being in a field that bounces around and changes<br> The kinds of neighborhoods that are attractive to retailers, being loyal to local merchants<br> Some of Fitts' favorite jewelry designers<br> <br> <br> <br>
