Digital Retailer of the Year

Hollister Co. (New Albany, Ohio), the Southern California themed brand of Abercrombie & Fitch, won the first Digital Retailer of the Year, for its video signage system, awarded at the Digital Retailing Expo held this past week in Chicago. The award was presented by VM+SD editor Steve Kaufman at a ceremony during the expo.

Hollister worked with PlayNetwork (Redmond, Wash.) to create a system that integrates real-life beach experience into its stores through live footage from two cameras mounted at the Huntington Beach pier. The video feeds are distributed via closed circuit network and displayed in real time in Hollister stores on two large video windows. Each window consists of nine NEC Display Solutions (Itasca, Ill.) 21-inch liquid crystal displays in a 3-by-3 configuration, measuring more than 5-by-5 feet. The image is distributed across all the screens, transporting shoppers to the beach day or night.

“Hollister’s video windows are unique entertainment systems that do far more than showcase imagery of surfing and beachcombing,” said Stephen Dorsey, vp, marketing and creative for PlayNetwork. “With this innovative digital signage solution, Hollister has virtually transported its stores from shopping centers to the beach itself. This takes visual merchandising, store design and branding to a new level, offering as accurately as possible a true experience that symbolizes the intended Hollister experience.”

VM+SD was one of the sponsors of the Digital Retailing Expo, a new event and conference dedicated to the in-store network, digital signage and digital retail industry.