by On-site corporate stores are common practice for megabrands like Nike and Under Armour, and Cisco is no exception.
The global digital communications technology conglomerate has two physical warehouses at its headquarters and has been asked to stage more at other Cisco offices. The company has had a home office store almost since its inception, when a group of computer scientists from Stanford University started the company in San Francisco in 1984. Along with the expected Cisco logo sweatshirts and T-shirts, the recently software specialist. up, in terms of products and technology. Last week Cisco introduced the first of what will be quarterly books showcasing the latest in-house designs and the latest technology.
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In the past three years, Cisco has nearly doubled the technology in its stores and brought in more retailers to see how that technology is used. That effort has resulted in a nearly 50 percent increase in sales due to offering more “on-trend” merchandise and additional technology offerings, according to Kaleigh Bisconti, program manager for the Cisco Store. Pop-ups that would be open to the public are being considered, and the company has held some at Cisco events such as “Cisco Live.”
Declining to identify any of the clothing retailers who visited, she said big box stores, department stores and other retailers with more than 1,000 locations toured the store, as well as executives from other retail sectors. “When people come to our stores, they understand how things work and can think about how that applies to their spaces.”
For example, visitors can better understand how Meraki’s latest cloud-managed smart cameras can be used for native engagement mapping, people counting and a better quality of being able to see what’s happening in the shops. The cameras can be used to map engagement zones to find out which collections are getting the most attention in the store. There are also ship-to-home stations so people can order online for home deliveries. Through EveryAngle, an AI vision specialist for retail analytics, Cisco demographics about in-store customers – in terms of gender and age range, as well as the conversion rate from online to in-store shoppers.
Recognizing how many companies employ merchandising stores and create merchandise, Bisconti said, “We’ve taken it to a new level where we look at ourselves as a competitive retailer among all the retailers out there.”
As widespread as that is, the Cisco store generated $2.2 million in sales last year and this year’s sales are 25 percent ahead of last year, Bisconti said. That revenue is being generated by Cisco employees and clients.
Currently, there are no plans for standalone stores, but consumers can shop online or schedule appointments with Cisco account managers to visit their home office store. “Our customers shop at retailers every day and for them, the Cisco store is no different. It doesn’t matter that we are a corporate goods store. They expect to see cool things that are going on with what they see when they’re shopping,” said Bisconti.
The merchandise is cooked up by Bisconti, who handles the trend reporting and previously worked in that area, and teams up with Cisco’s internal creative agency “The Hatch.” The next collection, which will be released in June, was 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 reflect what Cisco is doing in terms of sustainability and diversity.
When the company staged a Travel Store, if a customer picked up a Cisco sustainability T-shirt, the camera detected that and sent a signal that prompted a nearby screen to play the company’s sustainability campaign. The aim is to create more engaging experiences to encourage customers to come into stores rather than shop online, Bisconti said.
In line with Cisco’s “empowering an inclusive future for all”, the company has sourced goods from sustainability-focused and purpose-driven companies such as AS Color, a member of the Better Cotton Initiative and supporter of the women’s empowerment organization Reemi, as well as. Fill It Forward, which has a charitable component. The Cisco store also practices conservation in terms of WiFi and electrical power.
As it is, polo shirts are the most popular item – thanks in large part to Cisco’s sales force, who like to wear them on the job. Backpacks are also in demand, given how transient workers are in the fast-paced tech industry.
With crime becoming an increasing concern for large retailers, Cisco Meraki cameras can be used to prevent theft, thanks to features like “Smart Search,” which can visually track when an item is moved in a store. Cisco uses Merakis for surveillance and has panic buttons set up on its boards if anything unexpected happens. Sales associates can press the button to notify security and seek assistance. An image from the time the button is pressed will also be transmitted, Bisconti said.
The combination of EveryAngle and Meraki cameras can detect any “sweetness” at the point of sale, such as if an item is placed in a shopping bag by a sales associate, but the customer is not charged for that item. More than anything, the Cisco stores are meant to show how much technology can help its retail customers, Bisconti said.
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