The Financial Express is reporting that Adidas is making a play in India to convert their strategy to an omni-channel approach. The initiative includes integrating digital tech into 200 of its 750 stores, allowing shoppers to browse items that are not currently in stock via an iPad.
Although this isn't a particularly imaginative approach, Abhishek Lal (senior e-commerce at Adidas) has indicated that the company is hoping to see a 10 to 15% lift in revenue thanks to the new integration. As an incentive, Adidas has made certain product lines available only through their ecommerce offering. Their Neo line of shoes and clothing has been acting as a test model, being available only through the web in the Indian Market.
From a business standpoint, the move allows the company to see what product lines are gaining traction in different markets before making the commitment to ship large amounts of inventory. It remains to be seen whether the lack of tactile feel will affect the sales.
Personally, I'm a bit skeptical that an iPad in a store can be as effective as the product. The customer has made the effort to come into a branded location, it would make more sense to have, at least, a show room version available. That may be part of the plan, but the Financial Express article had no clear indication on the depth of the strategy.
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