Aéropostale, a mall-based apparel retailer with nearly 900 stores across the U.S., wanted to develop an emotional relationship with its shoppers. Targeting 14 to 17 year old young men and women, the retailer wanted to bridge the relationship from selling items to building powerful experiences and empowering shoppers as brand ambassadors.

“It’s a story about engaging with our teens, the Millennial shopper, in ways that they endorse, such as technology – mobile, social, tablet, text, etc. – to create dynamic store experiences, fashion, causes, culture, and connecting with our store associates who embody all of our values,” says Anthony McLoughlin, senior director of interactive marketing for Aéropostale.

Creating a Connection

After a series of surveys and tests, Aéropostale recognized this core demographic’s growing interest in utilizing technology while shopping.

The retailer decided that in-store iPad kiosks would be instrumental in creating an environment that is teen-centric, based on their fashion tastes, music and video selections and an outfit builder.

“The new concept store is the latest step in our initiative to provide our shoppers with a unique and innovative experience,” says Mary Jo Pile, EVP of customer engagement for Aéropostale. “It’s about creating an environment where our customers feel at home, and free to engage in their lifestyle while shopping.”

Digital Deployment

The retailer opened its concept store at Roosevelt Field Mall in Long Island, NY on October 19, 2012. The store includes New York-inspired artwork to pay homage to the retailer’s New York City roots as well as technology to engage its teen shoppers. iPads are placed in fitting rooms, where customers can listen to their favorite music while trying on clothes.

Throughout the store shoppers will also find four iPad kiosks, developed with mobile and multi-channel technology company Usablenet. The kiosks feature a build-your-own outfit guide that can be e-mailed to yourself or friends for online purchase. Customers can also shop an optimized version of the retailer’s website for hard-to-find items, and place orders to ship home.

The retailer will evaluate metrics such as conversion, sales and engagement during this pilot period, making edits to the app prior to rolling out to the entire store fleet.

“Technology has become the teen’s sixth sense, serving as an extension of who they are and how they engage with their friends and communities,” says McLoughlin. “The store experience must bring in key aspects of this technology to position the consumer at the center of the in-store narrative, engaging them in more than just a shopable moment.

“The goal is to impart on them an emotional experience through this engagement that the Millennial shopper will then see as the baseline for all experience, in stores, and other channels they choose to engage us in,” he adds.