rtance than the executive dialogue about ‘our innovative culture’? Somewhere in all of our conversations about new technologies, deeper consumer understanding, metrics, big data, personalisation, customisation, empowerment and so on, the term ‘implementation’ has lost its way a little. Four years ago, Burberry unveiled its largest and most technologically advanced store on London’s Regent Street to provide an ‘enriching and interactive’ experience for customers. The 4087m2 store, with ground-breaking interwoven technology, includes 500 speakers, 100 screens including what’s claimed to be the tallest indoor retail screen in the world. The RFID technology on products triggers bespoke multimedia content through mirrors that turn into screens. Is it a masterpiece? Yes, but at what cost? This month, after a 10 per cent fall in profits, the British luxury brand has said it is now going to overhaul its retail operations and simplify its product range. Areas of focus will include retail basics such as customer service, availability of products and instore logistics. CEO, Christopher Bailey, said the business is firmly committed to making the changes needed to drive Burberry’s performance. The announcement of this strategy is a reminder to all retailers that there will always be newer and shinier things to chase, but these can often be pie in the sky mirages that distract us from areas of business that will significantly impact the bottom line. It really doesn’t matter if I am on your database or if you can digitally know my every move if you can’t successfully sell me the stuff you promise, does it? Classic disciplines such as customer service and merchandise planning are too valuable to be overlooked. Candidly, any retailer or advisor who isn’t thoroughly conversant with every detail of retail and how to implement it is like a painter without a brush. The painting can be described and be visualised – but never painted to the detail required. I know it’s not sexy to talk implementation, but implementation is the new black. Here are a few implementation questions posed by newly appointed Retail Doctor Group consultant, Gerard Hanna, that all retailers are encouraged to consider: 1. Point of difference What is our unique point of difference? Has our point of difference changed and evolved with our customer? Does our product mix dictate our point of difference? 2. Location: What is the size/format of our store and is it right for our business? Where is our competition in relation to our location? Does our location strategically fit our growth plans? What are our location operating costs and how do they compare to the market? What is our traffic flow and is it congruent with our location cost? What are our Parking amenities and do they meet our customer’s needs? Visibility? Adjacencies? 3. Merchandise management: What is our merchandise forecasting process? What is our product mix and overall category performance? What is our inventory turnover? What is our gross margin? 4. Pricing What is our pricing strategy? Have we considered all critical pricing factors? Do we have competitive pricing reviews?  5. Communication mix What traditional and new media are we using as part of our communication mix? How are we using media to develop customer loyalty and brand image? Are our communication channels bringing our point of difference to the market effectively? What is our marketing plan and does it achieve this outcome? 6. Store design and display Have we covered the critical issues in our store design? Have we assigned the correct space to categories and merchandise? Have we used the most effective techniques of merchandise presentation? What standard is our store environment experience? 7. Omnichannel Are we considering the full journey to purchase and where this journey may begin? Is our online/mobile offer relevant, competitive and a seamless transition between offline and online? Do we have cross-channel fulfillment capabilities and are they being utilised? Brian Walker is founder and CEO of Retail Doctor Group, Australian elected Ebeltoft member, and can be contacted on (02) 9460 2882 or brian@retaildoctor.com.au.