With the high adoption rate of smartphones and tablets, consumer shopping habits have changed drastically in the past few years. This article advises that retailers must evolve with consumers and continue to re-invent themselves to stay relevant. Failing to do so will run the risk of becoming outdated and driven out of business.
Nowadays, a typical shopping day unfolds like this – a customer receives an email from a brand with a special offer or a reminder that their favourite item is in stock again. They then visit the store website on their computer or smartphone to check the inventory availability. After doing the research online, they decide to make a trip to the retail store and try things on. During the store visit, the customer may request to have their items delivered to their homes. The end point of this customer journey is when they receive a nicely packaged parcel with a thank you card in it.
Now, with the knowledge that you have to interact with your customers via so many touch points before they actually make a purchase, how do you ensure that you deliver a successful multi-channel shopping experience? This article outlines three key pillars to stay relevant:
- Customer interaction and transaction platform: Leverage technology to provide a seamless customer interaction and transaction platform across the channels to enable customers to buy/service/return regardless of the channel.
- Stores as point-of-service: Establish retail stores as point-of-service by providing the right tools and information to associates so they can service their customers better whether buying/servicing or returning and item.
- Breaking down organization silos: Tight alignment between marketing and merchandising organizations to ensure that price, promotions and marketing campaigns are consistent across the channels and help improve customer loyalty.
Customer interactions with many brands are experienced over time and across multiple channels, not just single interaction points. Understanding how the customer views their journey is critical to ensuring the best experiences occur at each stage that build loyalty and foster advocacy. Visit Multi-channel Experience Management to learn more.