Technology

Contrast American Apparel, which caters to the young, hipster market, with the iconic Halston brand and its decades-old heritage of luxury, and you couldn't find two more different apparel companies. You might say the same when it comes to their cultures

Teen retailer Aeropostale is focusing on one thing to get back its hold on the millennial market: technology. The company is shedding its formerly logo-heavy brand and working to boost sales through increased engagement with young consumers. In October, Aeropostale launched a new prototype store filled with flashy colors and fun-filled cityscapes. And now, Aero is taking its new image one step further by launching a new mobile app and in-store iPad kiosks aimed at making the brand more easily accessible and improving engagement with its teen consumer base.

Digital has not only had an effect on companies from a marketing perspective, it's also helping them be more efficient and agile in other areas, like customer service. Take Jones Apparel Group's Nine West, which just introduced an app for its sales associates. The application not only allows Jones to communicate with its Nine West stores to maintain consistent merchandising, but it also lets sales associates show consumers products that aren't readily available in the store and give them a preview of what's to come.

Earlier this month, Topshop unveiled one of its most digitally ambitious fashion shows to date, The Future of the Fashion Show. The fast-fashion retailer partnered with Google on a multiplatform experience that promised consumers a seat at the catwalk to rival Anna Wintour's. Online viewers could take in the London Fashion Week show from various points of view, from that of the model on the runway — or the handbag on her arm. They could buy featured products instantly and even chat with the show's stars on Google+.

These two multichannel retailers have found that mobile store locators get feet in stores and dollars in the cash register. RadioShack launched its mobile site in 2011, streamlining it to make it easier for shoppers to quickly find products and services. It includes a mobile, touch-optimized store locator with click-to-call and GPS functionality. After its launch, the retailer found its average order value increased by 30 percent.

Burberry, the British rainwear firm-turned-king of the fashion innovators, has announced two new concepts just in time for its Womenswear A/W 2013 collection. Made To Order with Smart Personalization brings a touch of the haute couture to its ready-to-wear customers, and allows them to order the outerwear pieces — that's coats and accessories — straight from the catwalk. They'll be delivered nine weeks after the runway show, with personalized engraved nameplates. 

Amazon.com said on Thursday it acquired text-to-speech technology company IVONA Software, a sign that the world's largest internet retailer may be looking to develop more services similar to Apple's voice-based search product Siri. An Amazon spokeswoman declined to say how much the company paid for IVONA. IVONA's technology already supports several features on Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet computers, such as text-to-speech, said Dave Limp, who oversees the Kindle business.

Research from Adobe and Harris Interactive indicates that mobile retail apps, in particular, may affect the relationship for the better. According to the December study, two-fifths of smartphone and tablet shoppers said using a shopping app strengthened their connection to the brand. And roughly the same number became more favorable toward the brand after using a shopping app.

This week, NPR is exploring the evolution of the American shopping experience. In the third installment in this series, Audie Cornish speaks with retail architect M.J. Munsell and retail consultant Bob Hetu about what shopping in the future will be like

The U.S. Postal Service is dipping its toes into the digital waters, recently announcing plans to embark on several digital initiatives, starting with the formation of a new Digital Solutions Group (DSG) within its organization.