Innovating to focus on the customer experience  

The customer experience is now often the main differentiating factor that leads people to choose a bricks and mortar shop over an online retailer. This was the conclusion of our previous blog on the history and future of experiential retail. It’s perhaps unsurprising then that retailers and retail service providers worldwide are innovating to improve this aspect of their offering. Of the many efforts in play, there are a few that are particularly worth mentioning. 

A new experience is an attractive experience 

If we can learn anything from the expansion of the film, computer game and theme park industries over recent decades, it’s that the modern world craves new experiences. If retailers can provide these experiences, they are half way to success with customers already, as proven by Glossier: 
 
This beauty products retailer follows the belief that “Beauty shouldn’t be built in a boardroom—it should be built by you.”  

This may sound like an abstract notion, but it’s actually the basis of their store design. When the company expands into a new area, it begins with a series of temporary pop-up shops. In each pop-up, the staff obtain and analyse customer feedback on products, design, and shop function. Then, the shop closes down and is replaced by another one that has been altered according to the feedback. By the time the permanent shop opens, it suits the local customers to a tee.  

In this, Glossier is partially following the example set by concept pop-up shops like constantly changing New York shop, STORY. Judging by the company’s impressive success and profile, many more businesses look set to be following in its shoes in the coming years. 

Retail media 

Retail media is a double win for the business that deploys it. It can create an entertaining, dynamic and different experience for the customer, while also advertising products effectively. 

A recent survey by Path to Purchase found that retail media advertising products in stores was seen as a positive and useful concept by the vast majority of people. Most importantly from a customer experience point of view, 84% of respondents said they “enjoy seeing or hearing about available products while shopping in-store”. This seems like it could be music to the ears of marketing departments everywhere, as advertisements rarely get this kind of positive response today.  

Additionally, 59% of respondents stated they are also open to purchasing the items advertised, so this advertising is both popular and effective.  

As well as advertising effectively, retail media has the potential to combine message, space and offers to create an entirely new retail experience that is enjoyable and functional. For example, a screen could say “You’re looking at barbecue charcoal? Why not go over to the meat section on aisle 3 to get an exclusive 10% off our selection of burgers and sausages?” 

Information on demand 

One of the advantages of retail media is the ability to give customers information about products and offers exactly when and where they need it. That is, in the place where they can make the purchase. Colleagues and interactive displays can also provide information on demand, which makes shopping quicker and more enjoyable – After all, no one enjoys wandering around a supermarket trying to find the last thing on their list.  

The difference here is that the customer is in control. The ability to access location-relevant information on one’s own devices is another recent concept that is proliferating among stores at the time of writing. Nevertheless, it seems that in-store information will continue to come from humans for a while, yet.  

Face time 

Face time is the essence of the real-world experience that cannot be had online. Shopping can often be a social experience, as well as a functional one, with friends for example. For retailers, when store colleagues are both friendly and available, they can make shopping more enjoyable while helping out with the functional side.  As technology frees up store colleagues to spend more time with customers, they can provide more face-to-face services to customers, becoming another draw for the bricks-and-mortar shop. Staff can spend more time guiding customers, advising them on products and even acting as personal shoppers in some cases.  

This is where StoreConnect, by Tag Retail Systems comes in. Our colleague productivity app makes tasks noticeably quicker and more flexible. It also enables colleagues to leave tasks and return to them more effectively, for example when asked for help by a customer. Speaking of help, the information that StoreConnect makes available allows all colleagues to be valuable sources of knowledge to any customer.  

To sum up … 

For the modern customer, new experiences are attractive experiences. By constantly providing new experiences that are useful to customer and seller, retail media is becoming more popular and effective every day. Meanwhile, information on demand is an important way of empowering customers. Finally, the best information on demand always comes from shop colleagues, who can rely on StoreConnect for it.  

To find out more about how your colleagues and customers could benefit from experiencing StoreConnect, take a look at our Retail Applications page.