On-premise corporate stores are routine practice for megabrands like Nike and Under Armour, and Cisco is no exception.
The global digital communications technology conglomerate has two physical stores at its headquarters and is being asked to open more stores at other Cisco offices. The company has had a home office store almost since its founding, when a group of computer scientists from Stanford University founded the company in San Francisco in 1984. The software specialist has recently beefed up this store, along with the expected Cisco logo sweatshirts and t-shirts. It raises the bar in terms of both product and technology. Last week, Cisco unveiled the first of a series of quarterly books showcasing its newest in-house designs and cutting-edge technology.
More from WWD
Over the past three years, Cisco has nearly doubled the technology in its stores, allowing more retailers to see how this technology is being used. This effort resulted in an almost 50 percent increase in sales due to the introduction of more “on-trend” products and additional technology offerings, according to Kaleigh Bisconti, Cisco Store program leader. Public pop-ups are being considered, and the company has performed at some Cisco events, such as “Cisco Live.”
Executives from department stores, department stores and other retailers with more than 1,000 locations, as well as other retail industries, toured the store, said the official, who declined to identify any of the visiting apparel retailers. “When people come into our stores, they can understand how things work and think about how it applies to their space.”
For example, visitors can better understand how the latest Meraki cloud-managed smart cameras can be used for local interaction mapping, people counting, and a higher-quality view of what’s happening in stores. Cameras can be used to map interaction zones to see which collections attract the most attention in the store. There are also home delivery stations so people can order online for delivery to their home. Through EveryAngle, the vision AI expert in retail analytics, Cisco extracts demographic information about in-store customers in terms of gender and age range, as well as the conversion rate from online shoppers to in-store shoppers.
Acknowledging how many companies have employee product stores and manufacture products, Bisconti said: “We’ve taken ourselves to a new level where we see ourselves as a competitive retailer among all the retailers in the market.”
As sweeping as that sounds, Bisconti said Cisco’s store generated $2.2 million in sales last year, and this year’s sales are 25 percent ahead of last year. Cisco employees and customers earn this income.
There are no plans for standalone stores at this time, but consumers can shop online or schedule appointments with Cisco account managers to tour the home office store. “Our customers shop at retailers every day, and for them the Cisco store is no different. It doesn’t matter if we’re a corporate merchandise store. When they go shopping, they expect to see great things that are on trend, along with what they see,” Bisconti said.
The product was created by Bisconti, who handles trend reporting and has previously worked in this area, and his team working with Cisco’s internal creative agency, “The Hatch.” The next collection, launching in June, is inspired by the quiet luxury trend and will have a minimalist feel. No longer limited to Cisco logo apparel, the offerings expanded last year to include graphic patterns that showcase what Cisco is doing for sustainability and diversity.
When the company held a Travel Store, when a customer bought Cisco’s sustainability t-shirt, the camera detected it and sent a signal that triggered a nearby screen to play the company’s sustainability campaign. Bisconti said the goal is to create more engaging experiences to encourage customers to come to stores instead of shopping online.
In line with Cisco’s motto of “powering an inclusive future for all,” the company sourced from sustainability-focused and purpose-driven companies such as AS Colour, a member of the Better Cotton Initiative and supporter of women’s empowerment organization Reemi. Fill It Forward, which has a charitable component. The Cisco store also implements conservation in terms of WiFi and electrical power.
This being the case, polo shirts become the most popular product; That’s thanks in large part to Cisco’s sales team, which loves to wear them to work. Backpacks are also in demand considering how many temporary workers there are in the fast-paced tech industry.
With crime an increasing concern for major retailers, Cisco’s Meraki cameras can be used to prevent theft thanks to features like “Smart Search” that can visually track when an item is moved in a store. Curiosity is what Cisco uses for surveillance, and he’s built panic buttons into his records in case anything untoward happens. Salespeople can press the button to notify security and ask for help. Bisconti said that the image at the moment the button is pressed will also be transmitted.
The combination of EveryAngle and Meraki cameras can detect any “sweetness” at the point of sale; It’s as if an item is placed in a shopping bag by a salesperson, but the customer is not charged for the item. More than anything else, Bisconti said, the Cisco stores are intended to show how much technology can help retail customers.
The best of WWD