How can mobile technology and social media help bricks-and-mortar retailers?
Rather than trying to fight new technology, successful high street stores will have to embrace it and use their inherent strengths that online retailers can’t match.
Steve Mader, senior analyst at Kantar Retail, says retailers must understand more fundamentally what shoppers need. “It’s not about online or physical, it’s about how those two worlds interact and how you can use that to your advantage.”
Henry Tucker, deputy managing director at strategic insight consultancy The Futures Company, says shopping has changed for good. “This is about changing attitudes, as well as technology. The shopping process has been disaggregated and this will continue.”
Tucker adds: “Shops need to extend themselves beyond a physical location or website as shoppers will engage with retail either virtually or physically, depending on their preferences at any one time.”
It is also wise to use technology to your advantage, whether using digital mirrors to show a dress in other colours or by having staff help customers buy goods online when they aren’t available in-store.
Stores should also make the most of physical contact. “You can give specialist advice one-to-one or tours of a department,” Tucker says.
Pricing is likely to become more personal, he adds. “Knowing more about your customer and engaging with them can lead to putting together a pricing plan just for them.”
Finally, Tucker says, shoppers do their research before they arrive so you need to engage with them before they leave their house via mobile or online.
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