London, 12 April 2017 – Farfetch, the online platform to shop the world’s greatest selection of luxury, hosts its first FarfetchOS conference, at the Design Museum (London) presented by Huawei; the leading global information and communications technology “ICT” solutions provider.
FarfetchOS is a day of exploration of future thinking to drive change, demonstrate innovation and revolutionise the future of luxury fashion through technology, enabling retailers to use data to empower their businesses and create meaningful connections with global consumers.
Walter Ji, President Huawei Consumer Business Group, Western Europe commented, “As global leaders in our respective fields it is only fitting that we come together to explore the possibilities that can be created when we connect with consumers in a more meaningful way. Huawei is leading the race to deliver the ultimate connectivity experience that will empower a whole new generation of commercial platforms and consumer experiences. Platforms and experiences powered by the 5G networks that we will enable and our mobile devices that consumers will use to access them. We are proud to be partnering with Farfetch on this event and are excited about the new possibilities it will create.”
Today, alongside a select crowd of industry leaders Farfetch will reveal three major initiatives set to revolutionise the future of retail: a BETA version of Store of The Future (SOF), an exclusive partnership with Gucci: Store To Door in 90 Minutes and luxury customisation with Nicholas Kirkwood.
• Store of The Future (SOF): the final piece in the Farfetch Augmented Retail vision, linking the online and offline worlds, using data to enhance the customer journey, to drive personalised customer experiences. It is a platform, where Farfetch will tailor the technology solutions to each brand, each city and each store, humanising the retail experience, delivering personalisation to customers and empowering the store staff. A BETA version will be shown at the conference, demonstrating how technology can be seamlessly woven into
the customer experience, to deliver a significant competitive advantage to retailers and brands. Later this year SOF technologies will be launched in Browns and the flagship Thom Browne store in New York.
• Store to Door in 90 Minutes: an exclusive partnership with Gucci, allowing customers to shop from a range of Gucci pieces, via the Farfetch website and app. Orders are fulfilled directly from select Gucci stores in the following 10 global cities, across 4 continents: London, New York, Dubai, Los Angeles, Madrid, Miami, Milan, Paris, Sao Paulo and Tokyo. This enhances the current Farfetch offering of Express delivery to over 190 countries, Click & Collect in 24 markets and Same Day Delivery in 9 cities.
• Customisation: Farfetch has worked with technology partner Platfome and Nicholas Kirkwood to offer customers the chance to customise the brand’s signature Beya loafers and mules; choosing from thousands of interesting combinations using different leathers, exotic skins and colours.
Conference attendees will also hear from a group of dynamic industry experts including:
• Claudia D’Arpizio and Federica Levato, both partners at Bain & Company - the official research partner for FarfetchOS. D’Arpizio and Levato will present compelling new research - Fashion of The Future: The 3 C’s of Change; focussing on the evolution of the relationship between the luxury fashion customer and technology; the new patterns of communication and distribution this creates, and insights into the emerging behaviours of the Millennial customer.
Two main panels and a Fireside discussion, all centred on the future of luxury retail:
• The ‘How Digital is Eating The World’ panel consists of industry pioneers and is moderated by Ashley Tolbert (L2), who will discuss how disruptive innovation and technology are redefining the world we live in. Speakers on this panel are Andrew Garrihy (Huawei), Shakil Khan (Spotify), Gord Ray (Instagram), Tom Stafford (DST Global) and William Shu (Deliveroo).
• José Neves (Farfetch) and Natalie Massenet (Farfetch & British Fashion Council) will discuss the Farfetch platform’s post-omnichannel vision of reinventing the luxury experience of the future. Lastly,
• The ‘How Technology is Shaping The Future of Fashion’ panel, moderated by David Rowan (Wired UK), features bold thinkers at the intersection of fashion and
technology who will discuss the future of luxury retail. Speakers on this panel are will.i.am, Miroslava Duma (Buro 24/7), William Kim – (AllSaints) and Maria McClay (Google).
