Personalisation of the in-store customer experience will be a key objective for retailers over the next two years, according to two Aberdeen Group reports sponsored by HP.
According to 100 senior retail executives surveyed from industries such as apparel, grocery and department stores, 76 per cent of retailers do not possess the technology tools or the business processes for executing web, catalogue or special orders from stores. This challenge is being fuelled by rising consumer expectations of rich, multimedia in-store shopping experiences.
The research advises retailers to make customer-centric store improvements that utilise digital signage, point-of-sale systems and kiosks to further in-store product information, promotions, sales and service personalisation for customers.
“To remain competitive and profitable in today’s connected society, retailers must engage with consumers at all points of service throughout the shopping experience with real-time, personalised information,” said Kobi Elbaz, director, Client Solutions and Workstations Business Unit manager, Europe, Middle East and Africa, HP Personal Systems Group.
“HP’s broad technology portfolio, consumer insights and partnerships empower retailers around the world to deliver a more alluring and differentiated customer experience.” Forty per cent of retailers reported plans to adopt digital signage to deliver the right message at the right time.
Digital signage solutions empower retailers to increase store revenue by integrating inventory or other store system information to deliver targeted promotions and information. Examples include wayfinders, menu boards highlighting specials and in-store promotions.
The evolution in consumer preferences, and the increased expectation of a multichannel experience, has put pressure on retailers to bring web-style technology into stores. Embedding new technology in 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 per cent customer satisfaction in stores, compared to retailers that do not provide cross-channel order capabilities in stores.