How can retailers meet the expectations of digital-native customers, who see the line separating conventional and online shopping gradually blurring?
In the coming years, Millennials will rule retail. These customers demand best-in-class, differentiated, one-on-one and even entertaining and recreational shopping experiences. Increasingly they will expect brands to close the gap between high street stores and online shopping with more and more of their purchases being initiated through one mode and carried out through another.
Increasingly, the concept of a standalone store will disappear, making way for the emerging concept of the everywhere store, blending a series of services, provided either online or in the actual high street outlets.
An example of this complementarity is using augmented reality on the mobile to guide customers through a physical store directly to the items they checked out and marked on the brand’s web site or mobile app beforehand. At the same time, augmented reality may attract their attention to other products or accessories matching their identified preferences, or even to discounts they earned through their loyalty points. Directing customers to the closest shop carrying inventory for the selection of items they wish to try on is also a valuable proposition. But the complementarity between real-life shops and eCommerce also goes the other way, with the correct sizes tried out in the shop being saved to the user’s account for a later purchase through the brand’s online ecosystem. All this needs to be seamless and enjoyable, as consumers are less and less indulgent with dodgy service. Directing customers to the closest shop carrying inventory for the selection of items they wish to try on is also a valuable proposition. But the complementarity between real-life shops and eCommerce also goes the other way, with the correct sizes tried out in the shop being saved to the user’s account for a later purchase through the brand’s online ecosystem.
The everywhere store also responds to Millennials’ appetite for visual and experimental shopping. France’s Sephora developed a store concept where customers may try out a wide selection of perfumes and makeup items that can be ordered online right away and delivered to the person’s home. It is an effective way to widen the product offering without having to maintain the corresponding inventory in the local store. A ‘selfie mirror’ also allows customers to send their friends a photo taken with a new lipstick to get their opinion before committing to a purchase.
Amy is the Marketing Manager in the UK for Hitachi Solutions Europe. With 3 years of experience working within project management and marketing, she's well versed in planning and executing demand generation campaigns across multiple industries with a keen interest in the Retail sector.
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