Expeto 5G Powers The Webster's Interactive Luxury Retail Experiences Across North America
- Deploys NeXtworking enterprise mobile networking platform that leverages public mobile 5G connectivity to deliver a consistent shopping and operations experience across fixed and pop-up locations.
- Expeto’s IT-centric approach ensures seamless and reliable 5G connectivity barriers to promote adoption of cutting edge “smart” retail tech spanning digital stylists, augmented reality, real-time foot traffic analysis, enhanced security, and improved logistics.
Vancouver, BC (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Expeto, which enables enterprise networking over private and public mobile networks, today announced its work with The Webster across locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. The luxury fashion retailer will roll out the Expeto NeXtworking platform to harness the power of public mobile connectivity for a consistent next-gen shopping experience and streamlined operations, including pop-up retail sites at some of the world’s leading entertainment and sporting events, including sites already delivered at the Sundance Film Festival and the NBA All-Star game in 2023.
“Our boutiques cater to high-end shoppers seeking a unique, engaging experience where they feel comfortable taking time to explore our exclusive collaborations and highly curated luxury fashion selections,” said Dwaine Omyer, VP of IT, The Webster. “As we expand operations and eye next-gen retail tech, it is clear that we can’t be successful without ubiquitous connectivity and streamlined network control. Expeto’s Enterprise First promise means we can deliver this anywhere our business needs to be, including pop-up locations where first-time customers will have access to the same intimate, personalized experiences they would in one of our physical retail locations. Expeto’s platform also helps us deploy mission critical private 5G private networks as we advance our supply chain initiatives with the confidence and control from our own IT systems - unlike the complex and expensive bespoke cellular options available from telco-centric providers.”
The Webster is eager to better engage customers at the “thought of purchase” and streamline backend operations with plans to implement digital stylists, augmented reality experiences, real-time foot traffic analysis, enhanced security, and improved logistics. However, it recognizes it is challenged by traditional logistics tracking and unreliable connectivity across locations, some of which are housed in historic buildings with limited technology infrastructure. Expeto is helping The Webster overcome these limitations quickly and cost-effectively by using public mobile networks to provide high-performing, reliable connectivity anywhere and streamline IT management of retail, warehouse, and pop-up locations for unprecedented control and visibility.
“Our NeXtworking enterprise mobility platform is proven to deliver exactly the functionality that can overcome The Webster’s challenges, many of which are common hurdles throughout the retail industry,” said Michael Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of Expeto. “The Webster can now tailor new shopping experiences to customers in support of its brand promise and future vision aspirations. It’s all about unlocking options and gaining control quickly using connectivity that is already everywhere the company wants to be.”
Retailers typically grapple with large warehouse presences poorly served by Wi-Fi, resulting in video surveillance “blind spots” and inconsistent equipment performance. Retail locations under lease are often restrictive when it comes to bringing in new connectivity and brands with nationwide or global operations face endless headaches attempting to unify visibility of all locations, devices, and people. This limits management of truck fleets, thwarts remote troubleshooting, complicates device deployment, and creates IT inefficiencies resulting in endless screen views that never provide a complete picture.
Expeto tackles these challenges head on, enabling:
- Global cellular control. Retailers gain enterprise networking control, visibility, and systems over public mobile networks globally, define secure SD-WAN paths in support of privacy and data sovereignty, and can take advantage of OT applications requiring QoS Wi-Fi can’t support.
- Improved supply chain operations. Latency-sensitive warehouse robots, video analytics applications and physical security solutions everywhere they are needed can be supported, with better coverage for barcode scanners, RFID readers, surveillance cameras and more.
- Better logistics fleet operations. Expeto supports real-time ability to diagnose and fix cellular connectivity issues impacting vehicle tracking and maintenance, and capability to add subnets for new vehicle fleet systems.
Expeto makes it simple for enterprises to seamlessly extend private networks via any type of cellular connectivity with single-SIM mobility between public and private instances of the network. Rather than struggle to manage mobile connectivity with legacy telco tools that require LTE/5G user expertise, enterprises get an IT-centric portal purpose-built for enterprise agility and speed.
For more information, visit www.expeto.io.
About The Webster
Laure Heriard Dubreuil opened The Webster's flagship location in 2009 at 1220 Collins Avenue in South Beach, Miami. Originally the Webster Hotel, the 20,000 square-foot Art Deco building was built in 1939 by architect Henry Hohauser. Heriard Dubreuil, who grew up in Paris and worked as a top merchandiser for Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent before founding The Webster, kept the name but reimagined the three-story interior as a women's and men's multi-brand luxury retailer designed with vibrant intimacy to resemble a residential space.
"The idea was a place where you can feel very comfortable," says Heriard Dubreuil of The Webster's concept. "It's a place to spend time. You arrive, you take off your shoes, you're at someone's house, or you're in your gigantic closet, and you can try everything." Rather than organize the store according to brand, Heriard Dubreuil merchandised it as if it were a personal wardrobe, mixing big brands with the emerging, arranging everything intuitively by mood, which was revolutionary at the time. Her instinctive, warm touch lured an impressive brand matrix, including Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Chanel, Celine, Saint Laurent as well as loyal customers.
After more than a decade after the South Beach flagship opened, The Webster has expanded to eight additional flagship locations in Bal Harbour, Houston, Costa Mesa, New York City, Los Angeles, Montecito at the Rosewood Miramar Beach, Toronto, and, most recently, Palm Springs. Each store has its own distinctive energy, unified by Heriard Dubreuil's uncompromising vision of good energy, good fashion, good fun, and Miami's sunny spirit. The retailer has become a destination for exclusive collaborations with brands such as Pucci, Bottega Veneta, AMIRI, and permanent partnerships with David Mallett and Augustinus Bader, who operates a studio out of The Webster's SoHo location.
About Expeto
Expeto makes it easy for enterprises to extend private networks via any type of cellular connectivity and continue to operate just one enterprise mobile network that devices and people can move seamlessly across. The company goes to market directly and via system integrator, network vendor and MNO partners, powering next-gen mobile networking use cases for large, multi-site, mission-critical businesses in industries that include utilities, mining, automotive, agriculture, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing and more. Expeto is based in Vancouver, Canada with U.S. headquarters in Portland, Oregon, and research and development offices in San Francisco and Luxembourg. For more information, please visit https://expeto.io.
Source: Expeto, Inc