Retailers Get Personal with New In-Store Technology Options
Personalization of the in-store customer experience will be a key objective for retailers over the next two years, according to two recent Aberdeen Group reports. According to 100 senior retail executives surveyed from industries such as apparel, grocery and department stores, 76 percent of retailers do not possess the technology tools or the business processes for executing web, catalog or special orders from stores. This challenge is being fueled by rising consumer expectations of rich, multimedia in-store shopping experiences.
According to the Aberdeen reports, interactive solutions located throughout a store will play an increasingly important role in delivering a highly personalized sales strategy. The research advises retailers to make customer-centric store improvements that utilize digital signage, point-of-sale systems and kiosks to further in-store product information, promotions, sales and service personalization for customers. In fact, 40 percent of retailers reported plans to adopt digital signage to deliver the right message at the right time.
The evolution in consumer preferences, and the increased expectation of a multichannel experience, has also put pressure on retailers to bring web-style technology into stores. According to the findings, 27 percent of retailers will look to deploy interactive solutions that enhance audio and video communication, which in turn will help shoppers find products more easily and provide retailers with another chance to interact with consumers.
One-third of retailers surveyed also are likely to invest in kiosks designed for customers who want to experience web commerce and check inventory while inside a store. Custom kiosk solutions can help retailers provide current promotions, product information and tailored offers to in-store shoppers.
According to the Aberdeen research, retailers that provide customers with this type of in-store activity (for example, the ability to place web or catalog orders in the store) are 1.4 times more likely to see higher than 80 percent customer satisfaction in stores, compared to retailers that do not provide cross-channel order capabilities in stores.
Visit www.aberdeen.com to download the reports referenced in this article: “The Customer Connected Store: 2011 Store Operations Automation Best Practices” and “Retail Network Optimization: A Strategic 21st Century Enabler".
According to the Aberdeen reports, interactive solutions located throughout a store will play an increasingly important role in delivering a highly personalized sales strategy. The research advises retailers to make customer-centric store improvements that utilize digital signage, point-of-sale systems and kiosks to further in-store product information, promotions, sales and service personalization for customers. In fact, 40 percent of retailers reported plans to adopt digital signage to deliver the right message at the right time.
The evolution in consumer preferences, and the increased expectation of a multichannel experience, has also put pressure on retailers to bring web-style technology into stores. According to the findings, 27 percent of retailers will look to deploy interactive solutions that enhance audio and video communication, which in turn will help shoppers find products more easily and provide retailers with another chance to interact with consumers.
One-third of retailers surveyed also are likely to invest in kiosks designed for customers who want to experience web commerce and check inventory while inside a store. Custom kiosk solutions can help retailers provide current promotions, product information and tailored offers to in-store shoppers.
According to the Aberdeen research, retailers that provide customers with this type of in-store activity (for example, the ability to place web or catalog orders in the store) are 1.4 times more likely to see higher than 80 percent customer satisfaction in stores, compared to retailers that do not provide cross-channel order capabilities in stores.
Visit www.aberdeen.com to download the reports referenced in this article: “The Customer Connected Store: 2011 Store Operations Automation Best Practices” and “Retail Network Optimization: A Strategic 21st Century Enabler".