For years, the watch industry has been resistant to selling online. But now, luxury watch brands and, most importantly, the larger groups are not only racing to embrace digital clientele but are also trying to gain more control over the final sale. As a result, traditional retailers are facing even more pressure in the age of “Millennialization” and have to quickly come up with new ideas to attract customers who are looking more and more for experiences rather than transactions ? new ideas that, if done right, could very well lead to a renaissance of offline retail.

Time to Move Fast
In 2015, the Toys “R” Us flagship store in Times Square, one of the world’s busiest pedestrian areas, closed its doors after attracting millions of visitors for 14 years. Earlier that year, F.A.O. Schwarz (which was bought by Toys “R” Us in 2009 and sold in 2016) closed its iconic store on Fifth Avenue in July after three decades, basically ending a 145-year-long era in New York City retailing. Back then, the city’s escalating rental costs were usually cited as the main reason for the two prominent closures. Retail experts, however, also saw another sign of ?clicks vs. bricks? or what?s usually described as the looming ?retail apocalypse.? It would seem they were right in their assessment. Three years later, in March 2018, the world?s largest specialty toy and baby products retailer, Toys “R” Us, ultimately decided to close all of it...