The retail landscape is changing. From the traditional brick and mortar shopping experience, we are now witnessing the online retail revolution powered by digital and disruptive technologies including mobile, IoT, and analytics. At the same time, the physical stores are getting transformed into customer experience centers too. The technology advancements are redefining the interaction between the customer and the brand, be it in online space or in physical stores. The new age retailers are keen to understand the customer preferences before they walk in and wants to deliver amazing customer experience which the customers never experienced or thought of. To deliver this, retail organizations are exploring new digital channels and are undertaking various initiatives to develop a new customer base, improve customer experience and also to nurture loyalty Nurturing loyalty among the customers enables retail organizations to save acquisition costs, improve servicing time and brand development. This has resulted in a trend to manage customer’s experience not only from inside the store but from outside also.
Customer experience has been promoted by the extensive use of mobile devices (with web connectivity) and social media channels. Both facilitates price/product comparisons, availability checks and other options including interactive kiosk, self-check-out systems and custom promotion availability.
If we consider a customer’s entry till his purchasing and sharing the experience with others, let us have a quick look on how new age technologies are driving the in-store customer experience,:
- Customer Entry: Customer Entry: The in- store customer experience can be augmented using the mobile app along with proximity marketing techniques. Instore beacons identify a potential customer that is about to enter in to the store. The beacon devices send and receive signals and retailers can identify the location of the customer and share them personalized targeted messages/ offers
- Product Choice: The scan feature availability in the mobile app allows customer to scan the product bar-code and know the best price, availability, store location and options in the price bracket
- Payment: Online payment gate ways and mobile wallet payment methods linked to the mobile app offers a more convenient mode of payment for the customers.Purchase Check-Out: Scan based checkout post payment confirmation and delinking of the product through bar code delisting from the store DB faster check out process for the customers.
- Experience Sharing: Customer can provide feedback through social channels to his followers or provide feedback using the app
The whole process from customer entry till experience sharing would have a two part technology usage:
The front end is facilitated by mobile app. The custom feed development for the store associates is required to assist the customers in case they do not have a compatible device, and interactive kioskThe back-end would be driven through database management and app/product/price DB integration. All these steps are capable of bringing in an enhanced customer experience delivered through a more personalized and targeted retail shopping experience.
Smart retailers are developing customer focused strategies and Omnichannel approaches in delivering a happy shopping experience from sales through service. If you are delivering your best to your customers- rare and exciting customer experiences which they want to repeat, you will stand out in the hyper competitive retail space.After all HAPPY CUSTOMER translates to HAPPY BUSINESS. So why wait?
Adarsh is a former Happiest Mind and this content was created and published during his tenure.
