Digital Disciplines: Attaining Market Leadership via the Cloud, Big Data, Social, Mobile, and the Internet of Things

Chapter 7Burberry—Weaving IT into the Fabric of the Company

Regent Street in London is one of the most famous streets in one of the greatest cities in the world. Known now to tourists for its shopping, it dates back almost two centuries and is so architecturally important that every building along its route is protected as a “listed building,” meaning it has special architectural or historic interest and requires government permission for any kind of alteration. 121 Regent Street is home to the Burberry flagship store. Upon entering, you might be impressed with the classic British ambience: the bronze lanterns, elegant furniture, Corinthian marble, wood flooring, stone staircases, dramatic balustrade, or the plaster details.

Chances are, however, that your eye will be drawn to the enormous digital display, stretching from the ground on the first floor to the ceiling on the second, one of one hundred in the shop, and perhaps the tallest indoor retail display screen in the world.¹ This is only the most visible element of a store that juxtaposes old with new and is so brimming with digital technology that it practically needs its own data center. The store is incredible on its own merit, but is especially fascinating given the building's listed status. As Burberry's Chief Creative and Chief Executive Officer Christopher Bailey put it, “In renovating this iconic London building we have worked with some of the UK's finest craftsmen to restore a wealth of historic features, at the ...