A Glamorous Legacy Inspires an Exciting Future

It takes the perfect blend of colorful history, superb location, iconic architecture and an elite, sophisticated citizenry to create an international destination – a place where every moment is a celebration. This is the essence of Via Mizner, an exclusive, landmark address in the heart of a beloved community, perfectly crafted for world-class lifestyles.

Welcome Home to Bespoke Living at Its Best

As one of a select few locations worldwide with a residential property bearing the Mandarin Oriental name, The Residences is truly a signature address. Upon arriving at the private entrance lobby, the cascading water element and grand staircase only hint at the striking design and details that abound throughout. Incomparable sophistication is imbued into each of the eighty-nine, light-filled homes that celebrate the Boca Raton lifestyle with absolute comfort and complete security.

Internationally Recognized for Luxury and Service

For over fifty years, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s reputation for impeccable service, distinctive designs and renowned, holistic spas has been key to its rapid expansion across the globe. Today, the company operates thirty-two hotels and seven Residences at Mandarin Oriental in 23 countries and territories. A dedication to the highest levels of customer satisfaction year after year has garnered Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group a most enviable ranking as a recognized leader in worldwide luxury hospitality.

Convergence of Tech and Real Estate In Fashion

Published on 05.14.2020

Click here to view PDF of our mention in Luxury Daily.


Convergence of Tech and Real Estate In Fashion

In these unprecedented times, fashion retailers will be challenged to adopt improved strategies and tactics for serving existing clientele, as well as developing new customers.

In the luxury sector, this becomes even more crucial, as the top 30 percent of your brand’s customers may be producing up to 70 percent of total sales and the highest average gross margins.

It clicks

For many retailers, the challenges of developing and implementing a bricks-versus-clicks strategy started to accelerate in 2011-12. I regularly met with field managers, regional managers and senior corporate staff for numerous fashion brands across a broad pricing spectrum, including their CEOs, directors of stores, and directors of real estate during this timeframe.

I started to hear a pattern emerge in my conversations with many of these retailers, including those in the luxury sector, about their challenges with ecommerce, product distribution, inventory timing and availability, as well as margin compression from increasing costs.

At the time, I was the top field executive leading one of the largest retail real estate properties in the United States, with a “destination” portion of the property devoted to luxury retail, and comprising more than 500 operating retailers, restaurants and entertainment venues.

In early 2013, I enrolled in an MBA level certification program in supply chain management to learn more about the underlying issues from these retailer conversations and to better understand how this would alter the retail landscape in the future.

As part of my coursework, I pulled annual reports, MarketLine SWOT analysis reports, and other information regarding strategic priorities being pursued by retailers.

Many of these reports cited “Lack of presence in ecommerce platform” as a primary weakness and developing “Better inventory management to improve gross margin expansion” as an opportunity, both of which rely heavily on technology.

Threats listed in many of the reports included “Intense competition in the retail environment,” “slow speed to market with fashion merchandise relative to competitors” and “inefficient supply chains.”

Based on a focus on these issues and subsequent investments in infrastructure, a number of leading luxury brands have launched highly integrated Web sites (Chanel), improved supply chain efficiency (Moncler, LVMH), and developed innovative ways to track inventory (Ralph Lauren). These technology improvements are well positioned to heavily serve aspirational customers as well.

Many of these improvements have allowed brands to reach customers in new ways, but also to manage their businesses more efficiently.

However, the ecommerce platforms also require the customer service, CRM and fulfillment components that work in tandem with the Web site, as well as technical support costs.

These additional operating costs have impacted overall profitability and, in many cases, remain separate functions from store operations.

Even when a store employee relies on an iPad to access inventory from another store or from the brand’s ecommerce division, the teams and processes are likely in separate silos, so store employees are providing the “touch,” while tracking down the product and getting it to the customer or the store relies on the “technology.”

High touch, high tech

The next frontier for retailers will be to figure out ways to maximize the functions of high- touch, personal interactions and service that can be delivered best in a store environment, while also tapping into the efficiency and technology of the inventory and ecommerce backbone that is now in place for most retailers.

As physical locations for luxury brands continue to shift focus to the top 30 percent of customers driving profits, store formats, sizes and geographic locations will undergo a similar transformation.

In boardrooms worldwide, retailers are beginning to evaluate retail real estate options differently and are developing improved site selection parameters for stores in the fashion sector, aiming for improved profitability.

This has resulted in a reduction in the number and size of stores, a shift in retail formats from malls to more lifestyle, open-air and street retail destinations, and a deeper dive into how to best serve primary customers.

THERE IS A great divide between retail brands that serve the masses versus luxury brands that serve the few. The latter will be focused on bespoke locations with exceptional demographics and the other luxury attributes of a site, whereas brands with a mass-market approach can rely less on site dynamics and affluent demographics.

I would opine that the world’s luxury brands will evolve the real estate side of the business similarly to the technological evolution that has transformed their ecommerce and inventory platforms over the past decade. After all, there is no limit to creativity in fashion.

A Legal Disclaimer

 

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of the U.S. Policy for achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising, marketing and sales program which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin. The sketches, renderings, pictures, photos, and designs depicted or described herein are conceptual in nature and are not to scale, are based upon preliminary development plans, may depict options, upgrades, features or views not available in all model types and are subject to change without notice in the manner provided in the applicable purchase agreement. No guarantees or representations whatsoever are made that any features, amenities or other facilities will be provided or, if provided, will be of the same type, size, location or nature as depicted or described herein. Any view from a unit or from other portions of the property may in the future be limited or eliminated by future development or forces of nature. Nearby golf courses, open spaces and other areas are not owned or operated by the Developer and there is no guarantee they will be operated or maintained for any particular purpose or in any particular manner. Many of the facilities within the project will not be located within the Residences. Certain facilities or services described herein will be provided by the hotel or club operators or others and may be subject to additional charges. Membership in the Club will be mandatory for unit owners and will require payment of additional dues, fees and costs. A substantial number of Club memberships will be available to non-residents. Business establishments may be sold to third parties, may be used for different purposes, and may change or discontinue operation at any time.

An offering is made only by the prospectus for the condominium and no statement should be relied upon if not made in the prospectus or in the applicable purchase agreement. Penn-Florida Realty Corporation is the Developer’s exclusive broker for this project. No solicitation, offer or sale of a unit in the Residences will be made in NY, NJ, or in any other jurisdiction in which such activity would be unlawful. Via Mizner Owner III, LLC (“Developer”) is a newly-formed entity, which is the sole offeror of the units being offered for sale as The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Boca Raton (“Residences”). Penn-Florida Capital Corp. and the other “Penn-Florida Companies” are affiliated with the Developer but are not the developer of the Residences. All statements and any representations herein shall be deemed to have been made solely by Developer. An affiliate of the Developer is developing the adjacent proposed Mandarin Oriental, Boca Raton hotel (“Hotel”) and the rental programs, if any, offered to unit owners in the Residences. Neither Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group nor any of its affiliates, nor their respective Officers, Directors, Agents or Employees (collectively, “MOHG”), are in any way owners, offerors, promoters, issuers or underwriters of, or responsible or liable for, or are making any representations or warranties with respect to, the Developer, construction of the Residences, any offering for sale of the real property constituting the Residences, or any increase or return on related investment. MOHG has not assumed and has no liability or responsibility for any financial statements, projections or other financial information contained in any sales and marketing materials, prospectus or similar written or oral statements relating to the Residences. Developer has the sole right and responsibility for the manner and means by which the Residences are sold, and for all representations in relation to the Residences. Developer has obtained rights to use the “Mandarin Oriental” name and trademarks (“MOHG Marks”) in connection with the Residences and the Hotel subject to the terms and conditions of non-exclusive license agreements which may be terminated at any time upon certain occurrences. The right to use the MOHG Marks in connection with the Residences is thus not guaranteed and no such right is included in the Residence being acquired by any purchaser. If any of the relevant agreements are terminated, or Mandarin Oriental ceases to manage the Hotel or Residences for any reason, use of the MOHG Marks in connection with the Hotel and Residences may be terminated at MOHG’s discretion.

The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Boca Raton (The Residences) are not developed, sponsored, owned, offered or sold by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group or any affiliate thereof (MOHG), and MOHG makes no representation, warranty or guaranty of any kind regarding The Residences. The developers and owners of The Residences use the Mandarin Oriental name and trademarks subject to the terms of revocable licenses from MOHG which may expire or be terminated.

Photographs and artwork are lifestyle photographs and conceptual artist renderings.

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