In-Store Tech, Sales Driver or Hype?

Against the backdrop of a 22-foot screen playing lush campaign and runway videos, impeccably dressed staff members sit with shoppers at Burberry's high-tech Regent Street store tapping customer profiles onto their iPads. The flagship is arguably the world's most technically innovative store, and the brand's much-discussed strategy to integrate the digital and physical worlds has set a bar for retailers everywhere. But Burberry is by no means alone. Slick digital technology — e.g., virtual mirrors, digital screens, RFID chips and iPads — is fast becoming a feature of store environments across the pricing spectrum.