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<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0If you weren\u2019t there you missed a well-structured event jammed with valuable takeaways.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a little taste of what you missed:<\/strong><\/p>\n Less is more: <\/span>In an era of digitally-influenced shopping, selling less = more sales. That means it\u2019s vital for retailers to use digital channels and digital media<\/a> to enhance and complement the shopper experience (both in-store and online) without being \u201csalesy\u201d. Another way of putting this: your customer strategy should not differ from your digital one.<\/p>\n Deloitte studies back how important digital is to retail and omnichannel commerce.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Last year, $1,100,000,000,000 in retail sales were influenced by digital (that would be $1.1 Trillion)<\/p>\n Mobile-influenced 19% of in-store sales in 2013 (that’s $593Billion!). If you read between the lines here, there’s a strong case for digital to be credited in attribution beyond mobile sales.<\/p>\n 84% of customers use digital touchpoints either before or during a store visit<\/p>\n Conversion rates are 40% higher when shoppers use a digital touchpoint first (which can, in theory, debunk most \u201cshowrooming\u201d theories)<\/p>\n Customers had 22% higher average order values when using digital as any touch point in the buying process<\/p>\n In-store technology is becoming table stakes:<\/span> When I heard the CIO of TGI Fridays (Tripp Sessions) talk about what Friday\u2019s’ is doing with in-restaurant technology (every Dub-Dub, or server, has a tablet for ordering), it made me want to go get a \u201cThree-For-All\u201d just to check out what\u2019s new.<\/p>\n We’re seeing stores begin to use technology<\/a> to promote and enhance in-store experiences and raise brand awareness. Every retailer wants people to love shopping both online and in-store, so seamlessly combining the best of both worlds is taking customer engagement to a new level.
\nGap, Ascena Retail, GameStop, Kohl\u2019s Chico\u2019s FAS, Target<\/strong> and CKE Restaurants<\/strong> echoed the innovation in this sector, each utilizing some sort of in-store device that their customers are native to and accustomed to in their everyday environment.
\nMaurices\u2019<\/strong> uses iOS tablets around their stores to push for online ordering to happen in-store (a connection that bridges online and offline).
\nChico\u2019s FAS\u2019<\/strong> Boston proper stores are using \u201ctech tables\u201d cozied up near dressing rooms (intently put in the most social area of the store) so customers and in-store stylists can browse the full range of catalogue products on a large screen (without eyes darting on your back and watching what you do).
\nTarget<\/strong> associates use devices to pinpoint exactly where an item is in-store. For instance, if you walk up to an associate, hand him your smartphone with an item you found online and say \u201cwhere can I find this?\u201d, they\u2019ll tell you exactly which aisle and location it\u2019s in. Pretty helpful in a time-pressed world!
\nKohl\u2019s<\/strong> has begun to roll out beacon technology to send customers relevant and timely SMS messages while experiencing the brand in-store. Others, such as the Gap, are also engaging iBeacon technology<\/a>, but think retailers can be more innovative with it. Roger Kibbe, Sr. Director of Omnichannel Architecture for the Gap said \u201cIf I walked into a store and got an SMS that said \u2018Hey there, welcome to Old Navy!\u2019, I\u2019d probably turn my notifications off.\u201d<\/p>\n