Revitalising retail with shoppertainment
As shoppers' expectations rise, brick-and-mortar retailers can be competitive by offering a personalised end-to-end service
With the growing popularity of online shopping, how can physical stores draw shoppers back?
Enter "shoppertainment", where a trip to a mall is as much about seeking an experience as it is about buying something. Many consider shopping itself to already be a form of entertainment.
But not many retailers are actively investigating how they can make the shopping experience more enjoyable.
Zebra Technologies' 2018 Global Shopper Study, which analyses shopper satisfaction and retail technology trends, reveals that merchants have come a long way in enhancing the shopping experience. But at the same time, shopper expectations continue to rise at a huge rate.
The younger generation is leading the shoppertainment trend, with more than half of millennials saying they window-shop five or more times a month.
Nearly half of consumers surveyed say they window-shop in store, but buy goods online, with three in five pointing to online discounts as one of the reasons.
Retailers need to recognise that shoppers expect seamless experiences across every interaction they have with a brand, whether in stores or online.
This includes everything from the accuracy of inventory on the retailer's website, to service at its brick and mortar store, to the delivery experience and their satisfaction with the final product.
By replicating the convenience and price benefits of online shopping in store, savvy retailers can compete against online market places and e-retailers.
INVENTORY
Retail assistants armed with the right technology are better equipped to have real-time visibility on inventory and serve customers. For example, they would be able to inform customers when and where a product is available, offer home deliveries if an item isn't in stock or personalise offers for customers - bringing the online experience into real life.
The Government's retail initiatives, such as the retail-focused Industry Transformation Map, have helped local small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Another example is the programme A*Star's SIMTech offers to help SMEs adopt barcoding and radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies.
At the same time, the push to streamline and digitise the in-store experience has turned up the heat on retail businesses.
Brick-and-mortar stores are quickly expanding their e-commerce capabilities, while online-only retailers such as Amazon and JD.com are venturing into making brick and mortar footprints.
Retailers must constantly innovate, and there is no area being left behind.
The message is clear: Simple steps such as equipping retail staff with more powerful Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as tablets or mobile computers, as well as giving them the autonomy to improve customer experience through information or discounts, will help retailers get a competitive advantage.
The in-store experience remains a key component in the shopper journey, and retailers need to attract shoppers by building a more personalised and engaging shopping experience for consumers.
The writer is vice-president and general manager, Zebra Technologies Asia Pacific, an end-to-end visibility solutions provider
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