Guest comment: How the digitised in-store experience will transform the future of retail marketing

As more people get vaccinated over the coming months, footfall will increase dramatically and retailers need to prepare for what’s to come. For Marcel Hollerbach, CMO at Productsup, the in-store and digital shopping experience needs to be connected. Retailers shouldn’t expect consumers to completely abandon the digital shopping experience that they relied on solely during the pandemic. Instead, they need to explore new ways to target customers in-store and create a seamless shopping experience, regardless of the way people choose to shop.

In the UK, sales were predicted to rise 48% as shoppers returned to the high-street for the reopening of non-essential retail on April 12th. Understandably, after four months of lockdown, there has been significant pent up demand for customers to shop in-store, and as more people get vaccinated across the country in the coming months, footfall will no doubt continue to increase.

However, retailers shouldn’t expect consumers to completely abandon the digital shopping experience that they relied on so heavily during the pandemic. A recent British Retail Consortium report revealed that while the reopening of non-essential shops injected new life into the retail sector, the numbers clearly illustrated that a shift to online shopping is here to stay, with ecommerce continuing to grow – albeit at a slightly reduced rate – despite store reopenings.

So, instead of pivoting back to a traditional high-street model, retailers need to continue exploring new ways to target customers in-store, creating a seamless shopping experience that feels familiar to both those who prefer to shop online and those who value the high-street. The return of physical stores gives consumers back a nice retail experience but we shouldn’t forget that they are still using more online channels than ever before. To capitalise on the post-pandemic spending spree, a seamless omnichannel experience needs to be struck.

The future of in-store shopping will undoubtedly be digitised, and strategic, forward-thinking retailers will already be creating shopping experiences with this in mind, enabling them to reach new target audiences and generate optimum sales.

4 ways to digitise the in-store shopping experience

Data is transforming the return of brick-and-mortar stores and is heavily steering retailers’ marketing strategies. Data insights can also inform the foundations of a digitised in-store customer experience. Whether this data comes from products, internet searches, or crowdsourced data from customers, there is a wealth of data points that can inform the digital in-store experience.

 

1. Offering a buy online, pickup in-store option. In order to increase footfall, retailers should implement a free click-and-collect service that adds a layer of convenience to the omnichannel experience. With this hybrid solution, customers can easily order a product online and pick it up in-store at a time that suits them. By encouraging them to visit the store to collect their order, consumers will naturally browse and potentially buy more.
2. Taking control of product data. Ensuring a consistent experience across channels can be a challenge in today’s ever-changing retail environment. Especially as the digital space continues to grow, with new opportunities cropping up across social media platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and more. To provide a seamless experience both online and offline, retailers must invest in a solution that controls their product data. Using a feed management tool, retailers can receive real-time inventory updates on stock levels so that customers never miss an item. By implementing such a centralised solution, retailers can generate product catalogues that are both personalised and adaptive to the different criteria of digital channels. Feed management tools are an essential asset for the future of ecommerce, allowing retailers to get ahead of ever-changing sales channels while preserving a brand reputation, both on and offline.
3. Implementing local inventory ads. Local inventory ads enable consumers to click through full product listings while also providing information on opening hours, directions, reviews and any current promotions. This feature is particularly helpful for small businesses struggling to get rid of surplus inventory. Using an organised data feed, retailers can target local customers using ads for excess products. These ads get products in front of shoppers while also driving customers to make in-store collections.
4. Creating an interactive, digital in-store experience. Prior to the pandemic, customers usually started their journey online, researching a product before visiting a physical store to purchase the item. In order to enhance the in-store experience and keep them hooked for more, retailers need to provide tailored offers. For example, innovations such as QR codes that shoppers can scan in-store can provide extra information on a product or personalised offers that will help to drive consumers towards a purchase. Using these insights to inform data-driven marketing makes the digital in-store experience a reality.

Data will drive customers to shop in-store

It’s no surprise that COVID-19 has accelerated the growth of trends that weren’t expected for at least a few more years. However, with new trends comes new opportunities, and the post-pandemic spending spree will give retailers the opportunity to rebrand, rethink and revisit their in-store experiences to get in front of their customers in a brand-new light. By investing in the right marketing tools, organisations will be able to utilise data to embrace this new hybrid approach and create a unified way for customers to shop.