 |
| Keeping up with innovation is what makes one a winner in retail! | (image source) |
This new development forms a part of PayPal's plans to expand its reach beyond its presence in e-commerce and on into retail locations. Abercrombie & Fitch is but one of fourteen other American retailers who've signed up as a part of PayPal's retail plans. Among the fourteen others include Aeropostal and American Eagle Outfitters – fashion retail competitors of A&F in the American market – as well as other companies such as Nine West, JC Penny, Barnes & Noble, and Rooms To Go. Implementation of PayPal into the existing infrastructure of a retailer is described as a beneficial ease: "With PayPal, retailers don’t need to rip and replace, install NFC or conduct a massive upgrade to bring innovation to their customers. PayPal works seamlessly with a retailer’s existing point of sale hardware. This simple integration allows consumers to pay quickly, easily and securely."[source] Through its offline operations with retailers nationwide the United States, PayPal looks forward to bringing further innovation in retail and in the interaction between a business and customer.
"PayPal’s offline solutions are much more than just a way to pay. We’re helping merchants connect with consumers at every stage in the shopping cycle. Before they come into the store, while they’re in the store, or even after they’ve left. We’re able to drive consumers through a retailer’s doors with relevant offers, coupons and discounts, then maintain a relationship with that consumer that keeps bringing them back to the retailer, in store or online." – David Marcus, president of PayPal [source]
The decision of Abercrombie & Fitch to integrate PayPal into its offline retail operations comes only a few months after the IBM announcement that A&F would be collaborating with the technology giant to bring the innovative IBM "smarter commerce" concept to A&F business operations. Abercrombie & Fitch continues to focus on adjusting its business operations, and interaction with its customers, with state-of-the-art solutions provided by working with such pioneering companies with sights on being at the forefront of retail innovation. We are at the threshold of an evolution in retail, and the relationship between business and customer, in the early-21st century – a time in which the ever growing sophistication of technology and social networking, and their integration into our greater society, are playing a driving force in revolutionary change. As David Marcus stated on the PayPal blog, "It’s truly an exciting time to be driving change in commerce and payments."
Stay FIERCE!
P.S. The order form for online purchases, on the e-commerce websites for all brands, has now been redesigned to make everything more swift, concise, and organized when placing your online order. Also, standard shipping charges for orders in the United States have been raised from US$10 to US$15.
The Sitch on Fitch thanks its reader, Santi Go, for giving us a heads up on the development of A&F with PayPal! :D
UPDATE (9 JUNE 2012): PayPal services will begin to be offered in A&F stores in early-July. This post was revised in its first paragraph to reflect this.
