Adidas: Globally scaling innovative concepts is key to future success

Not only top-notch innovations to cater to the ever-evolving consumer expectations, but above all being able to scale these concepts globally, is the key to future success, said Olga Bressers, Omni-Channel SCM Models Development lead at Adidas Europe, during her presentation at The Delivery Conference 2017 hosted by Metapack in London.

Consumer centric
The retail environment has shifted towards being extremely consumer-centric, with retailers aiming at seamlessly integrating consumer experiences across multiple points of interaction. Retailers better hurry to get this right, believes Bressers: “If you do it right, the whole world will know, if you do it wrong, the whole world will know”, she claims, referring to the way consumers exhibit their experience on social media and other communication channels.

Rising standards
Retailers like Amazon have raised the bar when it comes to service and speed, and customer expectations are higher than ever. Whereas the standards are constantly rising, sellers are often lacking behind when it comes to realizing an excellent customer experience: “There are problems like unavailability of certain products online or in store, a lack of transparency, a boring look and feel of the parcel itself, and poor in-store experiences involving cueing up and waiting to be served.”

Innovation at Adidas
Adidas has invested in innovations on various levels in order to cater to the rising demands of today’s consumers: Via the ‘Confirmed App’, fans can pre-order and pick-up newly launched products without sleeping in front of a store. With German partner Zalando, Adidas has launched a pilot in Berlin that integrates stock of physical stores in order to fulfil orders from there if products are out of stock in the Zalando-shop. A third concept is GLITCH, an exclusive community around an app with which football-lovers can order exclusive shoes with exchangeable covers, only accessible by special codes. In the London-based pilot programme, Adidas has thrown real-life fitting sessions and same-day delivery into the mix to make the experience ‘amazing’.

Scalability
However, being innovative is not enough, says Bressers: “It is easy to launch a fantastic concept in a single country or city. The secret to future success is being able to scale these concepts globally. We are an international company serving many countries with different preferences and behavior.” In order to scale innovation, Bressers believs, integration and agility are crucial. “The way forward is led by consumer expectations,” she concludes.

Images: Adidas group media center