My first exposure to showroom retailing was with Bonobos and at the time I found it odd. I now embrace the whole concept for apparel, fast or slow. Why schlep? Shop, buy and it shows up at home in a day or two. The flipside is managing inventory. It’s a lot easier to stay in stock in one centralized pooled inventory than staying in stock by size and color in tens or hundreds of locations. I’m guessing a hybrid model will emerge. Buy now and schlep will make sense for some portion of the offering. Buy now and ship will work for other parts of the offering. New marketing handle — “Ship or Schlep.”

I know there are some people who are bullish on this idea. I’m not one.

It’s not great for the retailer because suddenly you’re shipping in 100 percent eaches at a low price point and dealing with high levels of returns.

Plus, as a consumer, I don’t think I want to try on something that has been tried on by many before me, for sure. It’s vaguely creepy.

It kinda-sorta makes sense in luxury. In fast fashion, I just don’t see it. There’s nothing fast about it.

I don’t doubt that this can work, especially for more considered purchases. I also applaud Uniqlo for innovating. However, instant gratification is still massive in fashion, especially at the cheaper end of the market. It is also the case that fulfilling the orders arising from the visits to the showroom are probably more costly than having customers get things while in-store. For these two reasons, while I think showroom concepts will grow, I don’t think they will replace traditional stores.

Several years ago I reported about a small shop on Corso Como in Milan. A small shop on this fashionable street in this fashionable city that was set up to sell everything online. While it was several years ago and the sales people did not have tablets, the back of the store had four computers that the customer could use to order. Fast forward to last Saturday and my visit to the new Restoration Hardware in Chelsea. It is essentially the compound modeled for the city. It is massive. Finding help was a little difficult, but we did. The first thing the salesperson says, “we don’t sell anything here, we just have samples.” OK, I understand that you can’t carry home the new dining room table. But what my wife was buying was linens. So they had lots of samples of linens. But not the style my wife saw online and wanted to see in person. The salesperson said, “We don’t have room for everything.” Really? This place is massive. She says we can order… Read more »

I can see this concept for items like glasses and mattresses; things that I do not expect to take home that day. But for fast fashion and accessories? Why?

As a consumer, when I take the time to visit a store, I expect to be able to take home whatever it was I came in to buy. If I wanted to wait for something I would order it online. I’m with Paula, I just don’t see it.

See it, want it, buy it, own it — now!

The jury is still out on if a showroom concept will work for fast fashion. There are some very compelling benefits for the retailer: less inventory carrying costs and write-offs and less real estate investment. However, on the downside, there is the added cost of shipping that the retailer will either have to absorb or pass on to the customer.

From a consumer perspective, as long as they don’t need or want the item immediately, they will have much broader choices of styles, colors and sizes, at they can order from a more extensive inventory than a typical store could carry. Retail stores are changing and the stores of the future may look dramatically different that what we are used to today.