A shift by brands to a New Retail model is imperative to remain relevant and competitive in China, according to a joint report from AliResearch and Bain & Co.
The report, the most complete to date, offers a look at the blueprint for how companies and brands can seamlessly meld their online and offline channels, providing a better customer experience and making their own operations more efficient.
It notes the challenge laid out by Alibaba Group CEO Daniel Zhang in a letter to investors, whereby companies need to tap big data analytics to redefine the core of retail—consumers, merchandise and stores—as well as the ties among them, to upgrade formats and create new retail occasions. And it cites a list of brands, including Mondelez, Friso, Estee Lauder and Bestseller, as “leading the charge to shape tomorrow’s retailing.”
