Blurring the line between online and offline shopping
With the rise of eCommerce, we have become accustomed to two separate types of shopping – online and in-store. However, retailers are starting to embrace innovative technologies in physical stores to enhance the consumer shopping experience, which means that we are able to enjoy the benefits of both simultaneously. Today, the Shopper Discounts and Rewards team looks at this in more detail.
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Bringing the online experience inside the physical store is a new model for retail. Innovative shops are placing tablets in-store, giving customers the opportunity to search for products, read customer reviews and generate product recommendations. As online and physical stores merge, the personalised shopping experience that was previously restricted to eCommerce follows customers as they enter a store. To enable this development, a number of innovative technologies are emerging.
the study of biometrics
To provide a personalised shopping experience, retailers must gather data and insights on consumer preferences. In order to further understand customers and their needs, some retailers are now using biometrics – the study of human behaviour. Privacy-compliant sensor technology can be used to ascertain the products which garner the most interest and the shelves, aisles and departments which draw in the most people, in order to gauge effectiveness of displays.
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virtual shelves
In contrast to the almost limitless capacity online, the amount of products on display in a shop is limited by the size and layout of the space. A new alternative for retailers is to extend the display capabilities of the store through implementing virtual interfaces that show products which are not physically on display. By linking these digital interfaces with an in-store eCommerce portal, customers can browse and then place an online order instantaneously.
using magic mirrors
The ‘magic mirror’ is another technology which could soon be seen on the high street. Augmented reality technologies can be used to enhance a normal mirror in many different ways, such as adding virtual accessories to an outfit, changing the colour of a suit and simulating a 360 degree view. The mirror can also become a virtual personal shopper, by providing product recommendations complementary to the customer’s profile.
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Retailers must ensure that their stores are digitised in a way that is first and foremost useful to these buyers. The future of retail is customer-centric to help them to obtain a personalised service designed to satisfy their specific needs. By bringing more of a digital experience into physical stores, retailers can help to rectify the disconnect between their high street and online presence.
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Source:
The Guardian: Online Technology and High Street Innovation
