By Katie Davis T he retail experience for customers is seeing the line between brick and mortar and eCommerce is fading fast. In today’s connected world, brands and retailers are challenged to find ways to connect and stay connected with omnichannel customers. Retailers develop omnichannel campaigns as tech savvy consumers increase their demand for an exceptional customer experience regard- less of the retail channel they are using, and this is a trend that shows no signs of slowing down. Most consumers have smartphones in their pocket or purses or hand for most of the day, so it’s no surprise that proximity marketing, through the use of location-based technologies such as Bluetooth-connected beacons, is becoming more commonly used as retailers look for ways to provide more personalized, real-time messages, offers and promotions. These are five cutting-edge technology trends that retailers are develop- ing and using to take the business and sales to the next level and beyond. BEACONS Are a low-cost pieces of hardware — small enough to attach to a wall or countertop — that use battery-friendly, low-energy Bluetooth connec- tions to transmit messages or prompts directly to a smartphone or tablet. The challenge with beacons is to not be too intrusive of the customer and to keep the balance between security with innovation. BIOMETRICS Can help with the balance between security with innovation, especially with eCommerce transactions, giving consumers more piece of mind which will lead to increased spending. Biometrics uses technologies like fingerprint systems, facial recogni- tion, iris scanning and voice identification. Seems like a natural fit for retailers and brands that want to improve customer focused marketing efforts and boost security. Biometrics Research Group predicts the global biometrics market to reach $15 billion this year, tripling market growth in three years. Industry technology experts forecast that nearly 500 million customers will be using a smartphone that is equipped with biometrics technol- ogy by 2017. MOBILE ECOMMERCE Mobile phones may not be no longer be cutting-edge however, using them for mobile e-commerce certainly is, thanks to improved technolo- gies, such as growing screen on smartphones and mobile marketing strategies by retailers. According to industry data, Beacons will directly influence over $4.0 billion in U.S. retails sales this year and climb 10 times that next year.
ecommerce sales in the United States and 35 percent in Canada will take place via mobile devices.
Now mobile strategies are coming to the forefront to increase the consumer experience, whether it’s responsive design or increased speed all will continue to add to retail growth. SOCIAL SHOPPING NETWORKS As it turns out social networks are about more than just spreading the word it is now an important marketing and revenue generating tool, as there is a lot of excitement regarding social commerce. Social giants Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest have all experimented with direct “Buy” buttons on their website. Twitter tested a “Buy” button in Sep- tember with a small group of sellers and are now said to be teaming up with Shopify, which has about 100,000 merchants, and other ecom- merce software companies, so it is safe to say that results of that test were favorable. In today’s connected world, brands and retailers are challenge to find ways to connect and stay connected with omnichannel customers Pinterest’s “buyable” button, launched with Demandware, recently launched on the iPhone and iPad, allowing users to purchase without leaving the Pinterest app in an attempt by retailers to remove as much friction from the buying process as possible for consumers. DIGITAL EXPERIENCE IN THE STORE So you don’t need to leave the physical retail store to get your social media fix. Retailers are now leveraging a wide array of in-store tech- nologies meant to draw consumers in the door and keeping them in the store. The design and layout of the retail stores are undergoing a major transformation to keep customers engaged. Retailers are adding text messaging and touch screen features in their stores that allow consumers to browse the store’s flyers or catalog and easily interact with store associates. Some retailers have also experi- mented with having iPads in fitting rooms to allow customers to ask for help, read reviews and see what sizes are in stock. There’s a ton of experimentation happening with the digital experi- ence in and out of the store, and the technology is really about serving the customer from the online experience out of the store all the way through the store making it a truly seamless customer experience. As technology advances, retailers will have to be quick to respond to these trends. Customers will demand the latest and greatest and will use the internet and social media to seek out exceptional customer experiences.
Industry data shows that by the end of 2016, 25 percent of all retail
31
MAY 2016 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs