Forbes Online Reports On How The Customer Experience In-store Now Matters More With The Uptake In Co
Online e-commerce sites like Amazon have given retailers who sell their product in retail stores a real run for their money
. From clothing retail to the sale of consumer packaged goods at retail, the online shopping boom has forever changed the way many people shop. For brands that only have in-store retail coverage, sites like grocery gateway and netgrocer are posing a major threat, leaving brands needing to be more aggressive at the point of purchase to capture and retain customers.What commonly causes consumers to switch their allegiance to online retailers?
1.The online shopping experience in many ways increases convenience. Consumers don't have to leave their homes, shop in congested stores or wait in line ups.
2.Online shopping usually results in increased product availability. Online there are no shelves to go out of stock. If a product is listed, you can get it.
Forbes Online recently reported in an article "Clicks and Mortar: Why In-Store Experience Matters" that it is more important than ever for brands to ensure that customers have a positive in-store brand experience.
There are limitations to online shopping that leave brands that sell in bricks and mortar retail stores a massive opportunity to compete. These limitations include:
1.Removal of social interaction - both with those you shop with and the interactions you have with others when out and about.
2.The inability so see, touch and smell products that you are thinking about purchasing.
3.Takes longer to receive products - you have to wait for your products to be delivered.
4.Where grocery shopping is concerned it is often more expensive.
The Forbes Online article highlights the importance of brands and bricks and mortar retailers not to shy away from mobile and social media and to look at mobile and social media as ways to drive customers through the door. Creating online communities of brand loyal customers who can share their positive customer experiences can influence the buying habits of others in their social network. Embracing mobile apps to make the customer's in-store experience smoother is a great way to boost loyalty. In the Forbes Online article Target was mentioned as an innovator who has created apps with list-making tools, product finders, daily deals and more.
The retail store is the ultimate advertising opportunity for brands. Leveraging experiential marketing campaigns is an excellent way to engage new customers through providing them with the opportunity to sample product which in almost all cases results in a boost in product sales. Let's face it, employees in retail stores work for the retailer. They are busy and do not have the depth of product knowledge that your staff does. Experiential marketing helps you to improve the experience that customers have with your brand by allowing the opportunity to interact with your representatives, ask questions and be more informed about your offerings.
With regard to the employees of the retailer, another huge way to take more control over your customer's experience with your brand is to take more control over your merchandising and distribution. Having your own feet on the ground will enable you to ensure that product is always in stock, on the shelf, planogram compliant and properly priced. This will mean that your customers will always have the smoothest possible experience when being faced with the choice to purchase your product or someone else's.
Once a customer is in-store - what occurs at the point of sale is critical. By working to ensure the best customer experiences will increase brand loyalty and the probability that a customer will venture off to the store to buy your product, as opposed to buying a competitor's product online.
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