百思买复兴大计寄望星巴克技术狂人

    星巴克（Starbucks）前首席信息官史蒂芬•吉列特这位昔日的大学足球队员曾革新了咖啡销售的技术模式。如今，36岁的吉列特加入了电子产品巨头百思买公司（Best Buy），并被委以重任：帮助百思买与网络零售巨头亚马逊（Amazon）竞争，同时继续维系实体商店销售模式。

    吉列特于周一加入百思买，担任公司数字业务总裁。他将负责在线商店业务，以及公司的信息系统，后者正是他在星巴克时担负的职责。吉列特在西雅图星巴克总部工作时曾力主公司为客户提供免费无线上网服务，并支持通过智能手机支付。其间，在首席执行官霍华德•舒尔茨的领导下，星巴克的顾客体验有所改善，人们认为吉列特的上述举措功不可没。为；《财富》杂志将他列入了2010年“四十位四十岁以下的商业精英”的名单，以此表彰他的成就。

    百思买公司总部位于明尼阿波利斯。公司当前面临的挑战是对抗专业在线零售商尤其是亚马逊公司的竞争。百思买仍然在寻求继续保护其实体仓储式特许经营体系，旗下的电子商务网站行动缓慢，一直跟不上亚马逊的创新速度。百思买首席执行官布莱恩•邓恩表示，百思买的成功取决于两大销售模式的融合。他力图在Bestbuy.com网站上提供更多选择，同时减少实体店铺的总面积。他于本周四说：“有一个强烈的信念，那就是不论实体店还是网络销售，两者只取其一都是不够的。”此外，他还任命吉列特执掌数字战略和营销业务。

    吉列特表示，百思买将实现数字化销售和实体零售“和谐共存”，重新定义两种模式的黄金标准。“我们要向亚马逊取得的成就致敬，”吉列特说。此君自诩为动视暴雪（Activision Blizzard）在线电游魔兽世界（World of Warcraft）里的“公会会长”，这在财富500强公司里的高管可能绝无仅有。他接着说：“如果连一家咖啡公司都能实现科技复兴，百思买同样也能够实现电子商务和实体店的完美结合。”

    译者：李玫晓/汪皓

    Stephen Gillett, the Starbucks chief information officer who revamped the retailer's technological approach to selling coffee, is joining electronics giant Best Buy. The 36-year-old former college football player is charged with no small task: helping Best Buy go up against Amazon while continuing to sell products in brick-and-mortar stores.

    Gillett joins Best Buy (BBY) Monday as president of the company's digital business, including its online stores, as well as replicating the information-systems responsibilities he held at Starbucks (SBUX). At the Seattle coffee company Gillett was instrumental in offering free wireless Internet service to customers as well as allowing payment by smartphones. The moves were credited with being a part of the rejuvenation of the customer experience at Starbucks under CEO Howard Schultz. In recognition of his efforts, Fortune named Gillett to its list of 40 top executives under age 40 in 2010.

    Best Buy's challenge is to stave off competition from online-only retailers, notably Amazon (AMZN). The Minneapolis-based company's e-commerce site has been slow to keep up with Amazon's innovation as it has sought to protect its big-box franchise. Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn said Best Buy's success lies in embracing both sales formats. He has sought to add more choices on Bestbuy.com and to reduce the overall square footage of Best Buy's stores. "My passionate belief is that neither physical nor digital will be enough," he said Thursday. He also named Gillett to head digital strategy and marketing.

    Gillett said Best Buy will marry digital and physical retailing in a "harmonious way" that will redefine the gold standard for both formats. "Kudos to Amazon for they've done," said Gillett, who may be the only top Fortune 500 executive to brag about being a "guild master" in Activision Blizzard's (ATVI) World of Warcraft online video game. "But if a coffee company can go through a technical renaissance, Best Buy can accomplish this e-commerce and physical combination."