Digitally China Podcast: The Unsexy Part of “New Retail”

Digitally China is a bi-weekly podcast from RADII hosted by Tom Xiong and Eva Xiao, and produced by Jacob Loven. On each episode, the team will tackle a different timely tech-related topic, providing key insights on all you need to know about the fast-changing nature of innovation in China. Find previous episodes of Digitally China here and subscribe on iTunes here.

When it comes to buzzwords in the tech industry, “new retail” ranks high on the list. For the past few years, Alibaba has popularized the catchphrase to describe smarter, higher-tech ways of serving customers in brick-and-mortar shops — by linking online and offline data — from facial recognition-powered payments to smart mirrors that let customers “try on” cosmetics before buying them.

But beyond the shiny add-ons that consumers see, the real impact of new retail — especially for physical stores — is less visible: the supply chain and inventory.

In this episode, we’ll pull apart what new retail actually means for brick-and-mortar shops, why e-commerce platforms are moving offline, and how traditional brands are trying to catch up with JD and Alibaba before they get left behind.

In this episode, we cover:

• What is “new retail,” and why are e-commerce platforms so gung ho about it?
• Case study: how the fashion industry — where customer demand is volatile and products are always changing — can really benefit from new retail
• Why are traditional brands struggling to streamline their physical shops, and are Alibaba and JD solution providers or competitors?

This week’s guest, Sicheng Peng, is the APAC President and General Manager at 7thonline, which helps apparel, footwear, and accessories brands use data to plan merchandise demand and allocation. A Beijinger at heart but now based out of Shanghai, Peng also oversees the growth and development of 7thonline’s China business.

Listen to the episode on iTunes here.

Related reading:

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Watch: Why China is a Testing Ground for New Retail and More in the Digital Age

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