The weight of the no wait debate

©Ivan Kruk via 123RF

Two days later, the watch arrived at my office, I tried it on, and was disappointed. The watch had all the features and benefits that it said it had. It looked exactly the way it was depicted, it fitted perfectly and the overall online experience and service was really good. Now why, you might be asking, was I disappointed? Well, quite simply, it just didn’t feel right. I literally didn’t like how much the watch weighed.

The big debate

Will online shopping ever replace the traditional brick and mortar store? Technology and the consumer are forever evolving simultaneously, and by virtue, so too will the traditional brick and mortar store, and the experience they offer. The offerings that are at our finger tips as consumers are endless, and there is a solution to everyone one of our needs and desires. How, and if, they are seen to is debatable but that responsibility lies with the brick and mortar store and brand as a whole.

Sensory shopping

The traditional brick and mortar store can, and should offer a plethora of sensory experiences when it comes to the consumer. As humans we have five senses, these senses have helped to create wonderful memories and great familiarities. The smell and taste of your gran’s roast, that mohair blanket that you dislike using, the sounds of your favourite song playing on that memorable road trip and the site of a beautiful sunrise. These can all be memories created by one or more of your senses. The more senses being used simultaneously the greater and more detailed the memory and experience.

Ever heard of the expression, “selling the sizzle and not the steak”? Ever walked past a coffee shop with that lovely rich aroma wafting through the door as you pass on by? Engaging with consumers’ multiple senses, make that experience more engaging and memorable.

Walking into a store should be – just that – a memorable experience. Some more so than the next. There is a clothing store that I go to on occasion, I really dislike it. They have terrible music blaring, the aisles are narrow and it’s just a chaotic experience. Another store, in the same shopping centre has a lovely smell, is lit well and has nice soft music. A consumer can spend time there comfortably and enjoy their shopping experience.

Click-click

The online shopping experience – convenience at its best. Shop from work, shop anytime, hell, shop in your underwear. With the simple click of a couple of buttons you can have your doorbell ring a day or two later with the product in hand. Another model which is popular is the click and collect. If you travel a lot and are not able to wait for a delivery you can simply get the parcel delivered to a preferred address and collect it at a more convenient time and place.

There is nothing more simple and effortless than online shopping. But is there something missing in your experience? Or, is that experience enough? Does the convenience out way the experience? Which is more important to you, convenience or experience? Is the tangibility of a product less important than the convenience of online shopping?

Tech in business

One could write forever on tech in business and more specifically in retail. If we focus on one benefit that tech has, it should be on predictive analytics and modelling.

Amazon has done it best for an age now. Predictive analytics and modelling. They use personal and behavioural data that we as consumers create, to predict products that we may like or have an interest in purchasing. Because you bought product X you must like product Y.

What tech in retail does allow for is serving the customer in an integrated manner, and in real-time, across all channels and touch points. In this ideal world, the customer will receive a consistent, personalised experience.

IQ and EQ

Smart technology and devices, are a growing trend and are pressurising businesses to adapt and be innovative. As mentioned above, Amazon uses IQ in predictive modeling to suggest a purchase that you should perhaps make. What about that EQ, emotional intelligence? Reacting to signals that people portray and give off in a particular environment? Facial recognition vs. a heat map of a mouse cursor; slumped shoulders vs. the amount of time spent on a page; tone of voice vs. which page the consumer came on and or dropped off of; sentiment vs engagement?

Old school meets new school

There is plenty of great technology for traditional brick and mortar stores to implement and create great customer experiences that are personalised, while at the same time allowing for the store to gather the data that the consumer is creating. Back to the big debate. Do I think the traditional brick and mortar store is going to be a thing of the past? No ways! We’ll soon have a great shopping experience with great installations of near-field communications, real time or live bidding of products, mixed reality, augmented reality and virtual reality.

Watch this space.

Disclaimer: These thoughts are my own and are not necessarily those of the company I represent.