Month: November 2021

For many consumers, omnichannel is taking new shape as the general perception of “online or instore” is growing to include new interaction options. And to thrive in this new era of retail, brands must take notice. 

Contactless, buy online pickup in store, curbside, touchless — all of these innovations were on a slow drip until 2020. But today, these omnichannel methods of shopping are table stakes because of customers’ shifting expectations. People simply like choosing how they shop — whether having goods delivered to their door, placed in their trunk or physically going into the store to get items the “old school” way. 

And while, at one point, most shoppers had their preferred way of engaging with a brand, that’s changed too, as most spend money at their favorite brands from several different touchpoints, depending on schedules and comfort levels. 

The key is to create a seamless customer experience catering to multi channel shoppers whose touchpoints are constantly changing. Retailers who can pull this off are much more likely to draw them in and keep them coming back for more.

Pleasing shoppers who want it all

Recent research shows BOPIS and curbside pickup adoption has increased for 78% of shoppers since COVID-19’s onset, and 69% expect to continue using these favorite darlings. And why not? Shoppers strapped for time or concerned for their safety can order goods from home and easily pick them up from the parking lot, never having to leave their car. BOPIS and curbside options enable customers to see products before purchasing, avoid shipping costs and return items when they don’t work out — the top reasons cited for choosing this route. 

However, while these methods have certainly gained in popularity this past year, nearly half (46%) of consumers surveyed in Raydiant’s State of Consumer Behavior 2021 report that, when given the choice, they prefer in person rather than online shopping. One-third like shopping inside physical stores because they want to look at, feel and interact with products, while one-fourth enjoy the in-person shopping experience. 

And while consumers want to get their hands on products they plan to purchase, 87% of shoppers prefer shopping with retailers who’ve invested in touchless of robust self-checkout options. Stores are taking note: touch-free options increased for 69% of retailers in the first six months of 2020 — a trend that is here to stay. 

Providing the Perfect Mix

It might seem like serving omnichannel shoppers requires retailers to do it all. But truly, the retail landscape is always changing, and what’s going on in retail creates challenges and opportunities for retailers to expand customer service and branding alike. To attract today’s shopper, the perfect mix is in order. 

According to the National Retail Federation, the most successful retailers are those best responding to newer shopping preferences that include curbside, contactless payment choices, enhanced loyalty rewards, strong customer care and clear communication. The latter includes letting customers know of changes in returns policies, store hours and health and safety precautions being taken to protect them and employees, too. 

Offering modern, touchless payment methods such as Apple Wallet and Google Pay will also please many shoppers — particularly millennials and Gen Z’ers.

Changing with the times

It’s an exciting time to be in retail as there are so many ways consumers want to shop, whether through contactless, in-store options, BOPIS or curbside. Embracing the change will enhance CX and will help draw shoppers in, regardless of how their needs continue to evolve.

In sum, I’d like to share a quote from John F. Kennedy that is fitting for today’s shifting retail landscape: “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” 

Tom Ertler is SVP, creative director at Miller Zell 

This article was written by Tom Ertler from Retail Customer Experience. News Features and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].

With an oversaturated market, it’s important for businesses to differentiate themselves and compel consumers to shop with them. Continue reading “Shifting to digital: How to gain customer trust online”

As consumer behaviour continues to change due to the impact the global Covid-19 pandemic has had both on business and individuals – retailers are increasingly having to position themselves to provide omnichannel services that can meet these evolving digital consumer expectations.

Notably, consumer behaviour is comfortably and continuously adapting in response to factors such as fluctuating income, time availability, social distancing restrictions and overall decrease in availability of in person service provision. All this has irrevocably affected people’s priorities and values, as well as the time they spend online and how they engage with brands.

Consequently, retailers – almost by default – are having to embrace omnichannel services such as contactless payment, social commerce and virtual consultations by adding channels that help facilitate these activities.

A recent report by Accenture, titled New Era in Customer Engagement, reveals that 71% of consumers surveyed reported spending more time online during the COVID-19 crisis, with 76% expecting this behaviour to continue post-pandemic.

It is thus evident that a digital retail strategy has become the default, and the emergence of the new digital customer profile is fast becoming the mainstay for customer attraction and retention. However, these profiles will require ongoing analysis to maintain the right mix of customer sales and services channels for individual consumers.

Shift in customer interaction

In recent times, we’ve seen a huge shift in customer interaction volumes and the types of transactions over these engagement channels. Concurrently, the timeline for developing deeper relationships with consumers is significantly compressed and demonstrating empathy through digital channels has become the standard during difficult times.

Essentially, the customer experience (CX) has evolved into a partnership, with consumers no longer simply purchasing products and walking away. They now expect brands to listen to what they want, anticipate their needs in some instances and they expect to buy ‘an experience’ from every brand they engage with. However, while delivering a great experience will indeed get you a long way, consumers also expect more purposeful interactions with retailers.

Like never before, consumers can evaluate the CX, meaning that businesses have to rethink their operations, especially as most organisations are moving to digital platforms. The requirement to adapt to customer needs is therefore becoming truly essential.

Managing the customer journey and making sure that it responds to changes in customer dynamics, as well as ensuring that brand interaction becomes an experience, is key for organisations to successfully prepare for a digital future.

Dominance of personalisation

 A clear trend that is emerging in the customer journey is the dominance of personalisation. Most consumers want to feel as though brands know them and what they want. Increasingly, personalisation tactics are being employed by retailers to stand out from their competitors and to tailor the experience around the customer.

As a result, we are seeing a rise in a multi-channel customer engagement approach, as consumers expect a fully connected experience and to be reached on the channels of their choice. Offering cheaper items or faster delivery times is no longer the main differentiator for retailers. A new wave of customer demand and expectation has emerged and organisations need to manage this. Automation is therefore becoming increasingly important.

As retailers continue to pivot towards online trading, and lockdown restrictions are limiting the number of staff on the ground, we are seeing a growth in automation. Retailers are innovating with chatbots, digital shopping assistants and self-service technologies that are all taking centre stage to empower customers and reduce physical contact.

Omnichannel-based retail strategy

 An omnichannel-based retail strategy is becoming central to delivering a cross-channel organisational approach to marketing, sales and customer service that creates an integrated and cohesive customer experience. This experience must be delivered – no matter how, when or where a customer reaches out to a brand.

Adopting an omnichannel strategy allows businesses to be available on every channel, underpinned by an engagement hub that provides for the easy addition of digital channels as needed.

At the same time, many organisations struggle to create a comprehensive strategy in order to generate and promote a meaningful personalisation that will result in a lasting relationship. Many retailers face challenges in relation to skills and costs yet have no choice but to respond to customer expectations or risk losing them.

These organisations need to look for partners in the digital transformation space that can offer an all-in-one solution, simplify deployment and reduce operating costs, while delivering a simple, secure and personalised engagement solution.

It is important that organisations realise that simply investing in CX technology does not guarantee success. A proper engagement and implementation strategy will ensure early and sustainable return on investment and the successful rollout of transformation initiatives. Digital transformation is a continuous process, and the right technology partner is central to getting it right. 

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This article was written by Jeremy Osborne from Bizcommunity.com and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected]. 

Want a more effective omnichannel retail shopping experience? Consider how Shopkick has helped its partners. If you’re ready to meet customer expectations, contact us to learn just how we can help you expand your reach and establish customer loyalty. 

Dive Brief: 

• Consumers are eager to spend and save money through deals, according to ICSC. In its Annual Holiday Shopping Intentions survey, the firm predicts that holiday sales between November and December will increase by 8.9% to $923 billion compared to last year. Per the survey of 1,005 people, 78% of respondents said they plan to spend the same or more money this year than last year, and 75% said they plan to shop earlier this year. 
• As for reasons why they’re shopping earlier, 45% said they want to make sure their desired items are available, followed by those who wanted to access early holiday deals (42%) and get their purchases on time (42%), according to the survey. Holiday shoppers are planning to spend an average of $637 on gifts and other holiday-related items.  
• Most respondents (85%) said they would shop in brick-and-mortar stores this year, but the report predicts that omnichannel options will drive a 13% increase in e-commerce sales. More than a third (37%) respondents said they want to see products in-store, followed by 34% of people who said they want to grab their goods immediately and 30% seek inspiration for gifts, per the survey. 

Dive Insights:

Though reports predict that consumers plan to spend more during the 2021 holiday season than last year, they’re still interested in finding deals. According to the ICSC survey, 80% of shoppers said deals factor into their holiday purchases, and more than a third (38%) of respondents will plan their shopping trips around specific promotional events. 

Other research noted similar findings indicating that shoppers want to stretch their money while spending more this year. Another recent survey from JLL showed that 34.4% of shoppers said saving is their primary goal. Plus, data from Klarna and Deloitte also predict an uptick in consumer spending this year. 

In preparation for a rise in sales, retailers like Amazon and Target have launched holiday deals early. 

“Strong retail spending has driven a significant economic recovery this year despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and consumers continue to return to pre-pandemic behaviors in the face of uncertainty,” Tom McGee, president and CEO of ICSC, said in a statement. “Consumers have remained resilient throughout 2021, which I am confident will continue during and after the holiday shopping season.”

This article was written by Tatiana Walk-Morris from Retail Dive and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].