Women’s Wear Daily: How E-Commerce Has Shaped the Future of Shopping

Keeping up with the retail business of apparel and beauty requires staying ahead of the latest technological trends—from mobile technology to social media marketing strategies to e-commerce opportunities.

On October 21, FORA.tv will present the Women’s Wear Daily Digital Forum on demand. The forum is hosted by Women’s Wear Daily editors and Fairchild Fashion Media, a unit of Condé Nast and the leading source of fashion news and analysis for industry leaders and the global fashion community.

Over the last decade, traditional apparel brands such as Gap, Calvin Klein and Nine West have seen their revenue steadily decline for a number of reasons, including a reliance on brick-and-mortar stores to sell their merchandise when customers are turning more and more to e-commerce.

While these companies have often neglected using the Web to sell their products, startups have flourished and swooped in to establish themselves by selling a variety of brands at a lower price than the big boys. Companies like Zappos, the now-famous online shoe retailer, and Ideeli, a membership site that sells larger brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Juicy Couture, are among the more successful startups that have seen success because they embraced the full power of the Web.

Not all large, traditional companies are behind the times, however. Even though Walmart continues to expand its physical retail space around the world, it has also embraced online shopping. Walmart provides customers with seamless shipping and return options on any of its products, including apparel–something that is highly attractive to consumers who have little time to deal with complex return policies. Even though the “big box” retailer receives a healthy amount of criticism for its practices toward labor and undercutting small businesses, it is certainly ahead of its competitors in the world of e-commerce.

At the digital forum, speakers from Zappos and Walmart will both talk about their experiences in managing e-commerce. Among other topics up for discussion will be how companies are taking advantage of social media platforms, how to craft marketing campaigns for mobile technology and how to leverage information sharing to sell merchandise online.

Watch the Women’s Wear Daily Digital Forum on demand at FORA.tv.