Category: Post

When it comes to the modern customer experience, expectations simply do not stand still. The retail industry has undergone a significant transformation over the past decade, and it continues to morph. From greater convenience, to better value, more excitement, novelty, meaning, status, relevance, authenticity, and compelling social connection, forever evolving expectations are the driver of every change in retail we’re seeing today, and 2019 shows no sign of pause. Translation: retailers must take the proverbial bull by the horns to keep pace!

Here are 3 key retail trends to treat as golden opportunities in 2019 and beyond:

1. The multidirectional magic of mobile

It’s hardly news that mobile is king. But the power of mobile has now moved beyond customers simply visiting a well-designed, user-friendly online store from their phones. For example, pictures and videos viewed online can and should lead customers seamlessly to a waiting shopping cart. Additionally, many consumers expect to have retail experiences from their smartphone, tablet, smart speaker, laptop, desktop, or any other device they happen to possess. In-store, numerous magic points of sale are needed so customers can engage any way or place they want. By equipping your associates with the right digital tools and devices to satisfy this need meaningfully, your associates can succeed at knowing their customers, engaging them meaningfully, and ringing them in on the spot. Seamless transactions are sought after transactions.

2. Insta-personalization: the gravity of data

Fact: the presence or absence of data gives everything shape. Customers are beginning to expect their chosen retailers to make use of new forms of data—emotional data, eye tracking, and DNA, to name a few—in order to offer meaningful personalization that proves they really do know their fanbase. Take it from Knorr: they offer personalized recipes based on their customers’ Instagram feeds, and it’s a hit. Bottom line: having quick, efficient access to your clients’ search, purchase, browsing, and conversation history in order to deliver beautifully personal offers via email, text, and in-person is no longer simply a nice extra, but key. To achieve this, better direct-to-consumer apps with advanced omnichanneling capabilities are a practical requirement. The ability to connect customer data with direct-to-consumer features puts retailers at the forefront of customer experience creation. More and more, retailers will have to find ways of transitioning from customer experience (CX) to intimate experience (IX).

3. AI…but with humanity

Even though the US subscription e-commerce market has grown over 100% a year over the past 5 years, make no mistake: the backbone of retail is still personal, and anything but faceless. In fact, human is in, and likely here to stay. While it’s true that many consumers have no problem at all with the undeniable convenience that hyper-automation affords, they still want that personalized, human touch. So while it’s true that a rising number of consumers are becoming very comfortable outsourcing large portions of their retail decisions to AI and smart assistants, retailers should utilize customer context and location data to automate the purchasing process in whatever way will up engagement the best—by taking advantage of every opportunity to facilitate 1-on-1 interactions between customers and locally based associates. The slowly but surely emerging sweet spot is a combined approach. The best of both worlds, if you will: AI with a human touch. For instance, if an associate is equipped with the AI-obtained knowledge that a customer has purchased a pair of shoes and multiple dresses in the past, it becomes much easier to predict what they’re likely to buy in the future, and what type of offer will entice them. If an associate sees this data in a mobile app, they can use clienteling to make a well-informed recommendation to just the right person at the at just the right time. By providing your associates with access to the type of data that AI can capture, you are enabling them to make bigger, better, more informed recommendations, more quickly and relevantly than ever before. And that’s extremely good for business.

As frustrating as nonstop-morphing tech trends in retail can be at times, we happen to live in an age which represents more potentially golden opportunities than ever before. Led by advancements in digital channels, 2018 has been very kind to the US retail industry, with the market reporting growth every single month. So rather than viewing new and emerging trends as difficult challenges, try seeing them for what they really are: a forever expanding list of ways for your ROI to grow and flourish. Why not start by arming yourself with a powerful clienteling, digital shopping, and social engagement tool like Salesfloor?

Wishing you a happy and prosperous 2019!

Thanksgiving boasts many bells and whistles all on its own, but retailers know that the real event trails closely behind turkey day. If you haven’t yet devised a plan for your store, it’s not too late to take advantage of the incredible opportunity that the holiday shopping season offers your business, starting with Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM). This year, Black Friday e-commerce alone is projected to increase by 15.31% year-over-year to $5.80 billion. To put that into perspective, later this month, Black Friday is poised to kick off a shopping season responsible for 30% of all sales for the entire year.

Here are a few tips to help you make the very most of the shopping madness that famously characterizes the holiday shopping season.

First, have an e-commerce strategy that includes something similar to what Blenders Eyewear did last year. FYI, they multiplied their Black Friday e-commerce sales and holiday revenue by 10, and are expected to quadruple it this year:

• Create hype around the “count down” by campaigning with ads and social media posts. Empower your associates to connect with new and repeat customers to promote holiday sales via email & text. Harness the relationships your associates have built with customers to get them back into your store. Go one step further by taking up space in the physical world via in-store signage, flyers, etc.
• Consider offering pre holiday deals and specials in the lead up to Christmas, as well as post holiday boxing week sales. This is a great way to clear out old stock while simultaneously creating an enduring buzz.
• Leak sneak peaks at enticing deals that will be offered throughout the course of the holiday shopping season in order to foster a sense of urgency and instill shoppers with an understanding of your “limited time best offer.” Make it all about the attractive offer.
• Extend your promo strategy across websites and into social influencer territory if possible, in order to maximize sales.
• Spread the word on holiday deals for last-minute shoppers, emphasizing any shipping and gift wrapping services that really up the convenience factor for would-be customers.

Second, deliver an extra dose of customer service excellence both on and offline:

• Get your store in tiptop shape. The better it looks and the easier it is to navigate, the more likely it is to entice walk-ins on the day of, and the longer keep people will stay and browse for deals, whether they walked in off the street or had words with an associate online beforehand. Organize your stock, and clearly delineate what’s on sale with clear, visually stimulating signage.
• Make sure your in-store associates are ready for this busiest of times. They should be very accessible to customers, and offer quick, informed, courteous responses, even if a customer is a rude, impatient, or frustrating personality—not uncommon during holiday sales frenzies.
• Set yourself apart from your competitors by ensuring your associates are available and present online to respond to customer questions in real time as they surf and search special holiday deals on your website. The human touch works in your favor, keeping customers on your site, satisfying any unique requests they may have, and ultimately going a long way toward securing the sale.
• Be sure your associates are capable of taking advantage of omnichannel clienteling to quickly gain insight on repeat customers and use it to personalize the shopping experience, thus creating a one-on-one feel, even amid your highly trafficked holiday sale.
• Test your website to be sure it can handle the upsurge in traffic that is likely with large, frequented holiday sales.

The bottom line is that while big sales require big promo, the big pay-off extends far beyond the scope of the sale, and even beyond the scope of the holiday season. When done right, your holiday buzz will serve to raise your store’s profile, both on and offline, creating a long-term stir around your brand that will survive so long as you keep up with CX-focused, associate-driven, omnichannel strategies. So beyond trying to simply capture a share of sales in the weeks before Christmas, for example, create and advertise in this way for every major shopping event of the year using the above tactics. You and your team of associates can learn so much from these busiest of shopping days, which can in turn help boost ROI year-round.

About to take the leap and launch new technology in your stores? Avoid the common mistakes made by many retailers before and after the implementation of a new system takes place. Get it right the first time and align the feedback, goals and requirements of your staff with the best interests of your business. Past best practices for implementing technology are no longer adequate in the face of the cross functional and omnichannel impact that many systems have as their driving force today. As more digital tools fall into the hands of stores and associates, successful retailers will approach system implementation in a whole new way.

 

Here are our 7 recommended best practices:

1. Clearly defined business requirements and goals.

New technology rollouts often lack in the communication department. The importance of clearly defining the goals and parameters of the project cannot be overstated, and neither can making sure your whole team is aligned with them. The key here is to do it collectively, seeking input and suggestions from every level of staff, especially from those engaging directly with the new technology. Hammer out what a successful project looks like with clear measures of success. The clearer your goals, the easier it will be to measure progress down the line.

 

2. A project owner and project support.

If your associates need questions answered or features explained (they will), the best response is providing them with a positive user experience. Having a project owner and clearly defined, accessible project support is key. If your project has ties to an outside vendor, leaning on said vendor for this support can be very helpful.

 

3. Maintain high level of engagement after training.

In the days or weeks following the implementation of a new project, block off enough time to sit down with all users and managers and answer their questions—either one-on-one or in groups. Tip: training your middle managers to train others will reduce the volume of questions headed your way.

 

4. Meaningful incentives.

It’s important that end users who are being introduced to anything new understand what is “in it” for them. Although a well executed communication plan should address core program benefits, it’s important that business requirements and goals align with incentives for the end user. For example, will the tool drive more sales? Will it facilitate communication with customers?

 

5. Test the tech with people (but the right people).

Many companies test the technical setup and network configurations but forget to test the impact on human beings in real life. Test it all: the messaging, the training, the communication, and the support systems. Start with a small but diverse test group made up of the most implicated departments or groups with the most to gain. Choose participants that are open to the idea of new tools. It’s always easier to establish the adoption of something new with a group of enthusiastic participants.

 

6. Create a continuous feedback loop with end users and stakeholders.

There’s a tendency for management to view a program as successful if adoption is high. But it is not the only measure of success (see point #1 about goal setting), so it is critical for managers and end users to celebrate wins and share opportunities for improvement throughout the initial phase of any new project. And managers should ensure end users have ongoing opportunities to share feedback and insights through recurring touchpoints, conference calls, retail audits, and open forums.

 

7. Choose the right technology and partner.

Your company needs to establish whether your new tech is an internal capability or driven by an outside partner. Don’t forget that external vendors typically have experience and best practices associated with competitors and other industries which they can leverage to your advantage. If speeding to market is a priority, it’s important to consider that some technology may take months or even years to fully implement, whereas others may be designed for more rapid deployment. Make sure you know what you are getting into before making a decision.

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Stores are a unique environment that require a high level of anticipation and planning when it comes to the success of new projects. Whatever project you’re planning for your store’s future, it’s important that stakeholders at every level adopt the best practices listed above for meaningful results! Whether you are focused on setting goals or creating incentives for your new project, continuously aligning your stakeholders throughout the process is critical to its success. Think of transparency across all of these practices as the fundamental that will help internal stakeholders and external partners work well together in the knowledge that they are aligned toward a common vision for success.

Many retailers these days are looking for ways to improve their customer experience with mobile technologies like AI, AR/VR, and more—all with the goal of improving CX. But while learning and applying the right technologies is key, retailers should not underestimate the impact that associates have on the future of CX.

Most in-store conversion rates are in the vicinity of 30-40%, while increasing web traffic is still only converting at 1-2%. This presents a huge opportunity to enable associates and drive traffic and sales online at much higher rates. To make this happen, associates need to be trained, equipped with the right technology, and trusted to serve both online and in-store shoppers without a hitch. This article explores 3 great examples of retailers who are getting associate enablement refreshingly right in 2018.

 

1. Best Buy

At the recent Future Stores Miami conference, two Best Buy executives described their efforts to invest more in their associates over the last three and a half years: by investing in support for customer and product interaction, they have reshaped employee training. What does this involve exactly? Well, conducting one-on-one interviews with employees across the country to glean information on application and technology usability problems, and other challenges of the job–for starters, according to Timothy Embretson, Best Buy’s director of retail user experience.

Rather than using the previous “clunky, corporate technology” that Shari Rossow, VP of retail operations at Best Buy says “felt more like bricks than tablets,” the company has now taken the plunge and invested in devices employees are already familiar with. “Do you need to train them at all if they’re using applications that they use in their everyday life?” asks Rossow. These efforts have helped drop employee turnover by “well into the double digits,” according to Embretson. “Through redesigning systems and bringing new technology into the stores, we’ve been able to cut our POS transaction time in half. We’ve been able to cut training for that system in half as well.” As Best Buy works to improve associate engagement, highly knowledgeable and friendly customer service is likely to continue to serve as the company’s hottest selling point.

 

2. Warby Parker

Warby Parker, the distinctive eyewear company started eight years ago by four Wharton B-school students, is enabling associate engagement by equipping employees with the right technology, giving them the right training, and equipping with the right tools to compel effective interactions with customers. In short. Warby Parker sales associates are highly effective at making a sale and doing other integral marketing and sales-related activities–like collecting email addresses, for example–without seeming at all unnatural.

Perhaps the most important use of technology at Warby Parker is streamlining the transaction process by equipping each employee with handy customer-visible devices: every sales associate not only carries a tablet but is also highly adept at using it as a POS (point of sale) device. Being rung up for a sale in this way is so casual for the customer that it fails to break the enchantment of the customer experience. That’s huge. Add to all this the fact that Warby Parker sales associates are carefully selected for their ability to be engaging and genuinely warm, their skill at matching customer pacing, and their incredible attention to detail, and you get a truly winning combination!

 

3. Saks Fifth Avenue

The fact that most retailers have in-store conversion rates of 30-40% means that the majority of customers leave without making a purchase. Companies like Saks Fifth Avenue are personalizing the online shopping experience with the human touch by offering consumers a single point of contact through a mobile app designed for store associates, Salesfloor, which enables in-store associates to recommend and sell products to their clients. The app empowers associates to connect with shoppers across the omnichannel universe: mobile, web, in-store. While a customer may spend significant time in-store trying on a little red dress she loves, while leaving still undecided, an associate can send a friendly follow-up “great seeing you” email which integrates the clickable version of that same red dress. The customer now has a way to continue her in-store experience online with the associate she interacted with in-store! If the customer chooses to buy the cute little number online after the fact, the associate is still rewarded with a commission—further incentivizing her to keep in touch with her customers—both new and repeat ones alike—by way of follow-ups, new promotions, and collections.

On the other end, customers browsing Saks Fifth Avenue online can connect with a live associate present in their local store; a pop-up appears on the site prompting customers to chat live, email, or request an appointment with a local associate. If a customer has a question about a product, they can get answers right away from a real, live, local store associate. The customer can then make a purchase right away, or they can pay the store a visit and finish the transaction in person. It’s a winning combo either way, and a highly streamlined one: the customer gets quality recommendations from a savvy associate, who in turn earns commission regardless of whether the order is placed online or in-store: all-around great incentive.

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By leveraging and embracing best practices, you enable your associates to deliver meaningful experiences to today’s ominchannel customer. Customer experience is only as strong as associate engagement, after all. Expand your customer service into the mobile world with a retail app that works to bridge the gap.

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ABOUT SALESFLOOR

Salesfloor is on a mission to unlock the power of today’s omnichannel sales associate by connecting them with shoppers online and in-store. We believe that associates are product experts, trusted advisors and social influencers for customers in their local communities. In today’s omnichannel world, retail chains have a unique opportunity to leverage their biggest competitive asset: their people.

Learn all about how this works here.