Delivering Convenient, Personalized And Seamless Retail Experiences

Originally posted in Forbes

Sergey Kozhevnikov, VP of Product Development, Teamwork Commerce.

The retail industry is controlled by the customer. With the ability to simply stop shopping a brand in favor of a competitor in an instant, the consumer holds all the cards in the retail sector. Although competitive pricing and high-quality products play an important role in attracting customers, the overall experience they receive is the key to repeat business.

According to HubSpot researchers, in 2020, 93% of customer experience leaders claimed that customer expectations had increased to an all-time high. Consumer demands continue to grow and evolve, and today’s customer wants convenience and personalization in their interactions with brands and expects a frictionless shopping experience. Although many might scoff at those three buzzwords, the reality is that convenience, personalization and seamlessness haven’t only proven to be highly important aspects of the customer journey, they’re all achievable for retailers—and can go a long way to retaining customers.

What’s Convenience?

People crave convenience in all walks of life. They want to be able to proceed with something—an activity, task or journey—without difficulty. The same goes for shopping. But in the context of retail, understanding convenience is as simple as recognizing the customers’ need for two key things: speed and options. With those two mastered, retailers can deliver convenient experiences more easily.

Fast service is essential in today’s retail environment. Customers don’t want to wait around for help from a store associate, stand in lines or even wait for a page to load online. They want to arrive at the store, find the items they need and check out seamlessly. As far as many customers are concerned, the less time spent on the shop floor, the better.

Meanwhile, access to options is equally important. Customers want to shop in their own ways, and retailers need to cater to their unique needs. They might want to shop completely online, exclusively in-store or blend the two channels together. The more options they have, the more convenient the journey becomes for the customer. By finding a way to create speed while also offering a number of fulfillment options, retailers can deliver convenient shopping experiences for their customer base.

Delivering Speed And Options

The math here is simple: The more customers that retailers can get into their stores and complete transactions, the more likely they are to increase revenue and, ultimately, profits. Speed is important both for a business and for their customers, so finding solutions to deliver it should be a priority.

The biggest pain points for customers in terms of slowed processes lie in waiting around for assistance on the shop floor and in line to check out. The solution, therefore, should be straightforward: Improve checkout speeds as well as staff ability to assist customers.

Technology is vital in this aspect. The industry has invested heavily in improving checkout processes for the very purpose of increasing speed. From self-checkout solutions to mobile point of sale (POS) systems that enable transactions from anywhere in the store to avoid lines, the latest POS technologies and immediate access to real-time information on stock levels and orders can quickly increase speed. If a team member can approach a customer armed with a tablet that provides up-to-date data on inventory, promotions and pre-arranged orders, they can quickly help shoppers with any query and get them on their way to the next step of their customer journey.

With inventory and order management software deployed, retailers can drive speed and create options as well. The two technologies can combine to create a number of omnichannel fulfillment capabilities, such as buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) and buy online, return in-store (BORIS).

From here, retailers can facilitate convenient experiences for customers who expect a high-quality in-store experience. And this is driven predominantly by improved operational speeds and a wide range of options that allow customers to shop how they want.

The Demand For Personalization

Research undertaken by Sitecore analysts found that “70% of Americans crave deeper, more personal connections with brands.” Convenience is one aspect of a high-quality customer experience, but receiving a bespoke, personalized interaction with a retailer leaves customers feeling valued. The challenge lies in being able to deliver a personal touch.

Again, here, technology can play a vital role. With access to a customer relationship management (CRM) solution and clienteling technology, in-store associates can draw on previous interactions with the customers to make recommendations, provide bespoke promotions and build reward programs that drive loyalty.

With immediate access to the right data, associates can greet customers, plug in a few details and begin personalizing their experiences right away. In this way, customers feel valued and important to the business. In a fiercely competitive industry, personal interactions can become the difference maker for customers.

Tech Isn’t Everything

It’s important to note that although technology can provide the tools that allow retailers to deliver convenience and personalization, neither can work effectively without a friendly face helping customers through their journey. Staff need the right training to truly deliver these experiences. They need to know who to greet and engage with and who to leave to shop on their own. They need to know how to provide friendly service with emotional intelligence and ensure that customers feel the sincerity of personalized interactions. The technology provides the tools to facilitate great experiences, but the staff are the ones who deliver it.

A Seamless Journey

As the industry continues to evolve, a loyal customer base can provide stability to retailers that are navigating the uncertainty of the sector. Customer experience is everything in today’s world, and as retailers deliver convenience and personalization, they must also provide the seamlessness that their customers expect. In turn, their efforts are likely to be well rewarded with long-lasting relationships that create long-term business growth.