Customization is King

The 2011 Edison Awards have been announced. In the new retail concepts category, the three winners were (Gold, Silver, Bronze in order):

• Coca-Cola Freestyle® by The Coca-Cola Company
• Nike Retail Experience Concept by Nike
• Disney Stores Worldwide

What's interesting about these three winners? Each of these concepts involves a healthy dose of customization for the consumer. I believe that every brick and mortar retail needs to be innovating in the area of customization if they are to survive. I've been stressing that on this blog for some time, and these award winners only reinforce my belief. Congratulations to the winners!