Connecting Moments To Create Stories...informed purchase. 2. PLAY: The retailer provides store,...
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Connecting Moments To Create Stories
The Customer Journey Playbook � 2
It’s no longer enough to be present in every channel — retailers today need to personalize the brand experience for each shopper. Forward-thinking retailers are working toward that goal. Today, more than half (56%) of retailers are seeking to deliver cross-channel personalization, and 31% are building more one-to-one tactics, according to research from the e-tailing group.
Harnessing the value of digital technologies will be the key to delivering a more personalized experience and delighting shoppers moving forward, according to recent research from Deloitte. Digital technologies will influence up to
50% of in-store sales by the end of 2014, Deloitte reported in its consumer study, titled: The New Digital Divide.
But what are the specific tactics and strategies retailers should be implementing to achieve a successful personalized shopping experience? What technology elements should be utilized to curate this connected journey? This Playbook will walk you through the six steps that will help convert shopping moments into long-term loyalty — visualized through one consumer’s shopping journey.
Each step includes a retail Case In Point that features the three components of the Customer Journey Playbook format:
1. SITUATION: The moment when retailers have an opportunity to connect with guests
2. PLAY: The actions retailers should take after identifying the situation.
3. LINEUP: The technology elements that will enable the best play. It’s important to keep in mind that no single element will accomplish the ‘play.’ Multiple elements should be used synergistically to ensure maximum reach to every shopper.
THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY PLAYBOOKConnecting Moments To Create Stories
Digital technologies will influence up to 50% of in-
store sales by the end of 2014.
- Deloitte
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PLAYBOOK STEP 1: CONNECT
78% of consumers said they would buy from a retailer more frequently if they received offers
tailored to their interests.
- Infosys
While most of today’s shopping journeys begin at home with online research — and retailers need to be present in that conversation — it’s also vital that merchants connect with guests as they arrive at the store. By extending the voice of the store into the parking lot or side walk, merchants can welcome customers and offer relevant information based on individual shopper profiles in order to create the greatest personalized journey. This type of guest attention provides the best chance for additional, unplanned foot-traffic, and this outreach has the opportunity to remind shoppers of products they want to purchase or offers they forgot about.
And shoppers are looking for this type of personalized attention. As many as 78% of consumers said they would buy from a retailer more frequently if they received offers tailored to their interests, wants and needs, according to an Infosys consumer study, titled: Engaging With Digital Consumers.
Value-based opportunities with guests can lead to a curated journey that assists with locating necessary items and provide cross-sell/up-sell opportunities that increase conversation. Mobile technology and location-based solutions will help deliver the best personalized connections with shoppers.
1. SITUATION: A shopper arrives at the store parking lot along with a short shopping list of items.
2. PLAY: A geo-targeted message greets the shopper by name and offers a special promotion. Guests are notified that additional offers and shopping tools are available simply by connecting to the store’s free guest wifi.
3. LINEUP: Mobile app, Geo-location solutions, and large format digital signage.
The Customer Journey Playbook � 3
Let’s call our shopper Emily. Emily, a Millennial Mom, has a list of items to purchase; and she is price-conscious. She has arrived by car and receives a welcome message and promotional offer before entering the store. So she begins to rethink her shopping plan and adds a few more items to the list. Also before entering the store, she notices large format in-window digital signage that reminds her of an upcoming event that she needs to purchase items for. She adds some more items to the list, then enters the store to begin shopping. Even before Emily has begun her shopping trip the retailer has motivated her to increase her basket size!
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Even though many shoppers conduct a lot of product research at home before they enter the store, they may need an information boost at the point of purchase decision. In fact, conversions increase by 40% when shoppers access digital technologies before and during the in-store shopping trip, according to the Deloitte report: “The more the digital experience and information match the shopper’s needs at a given moment, the more likely she is to buy and the higher the conversion rate.”
1. SITUATION: The shopper is trying to decide which product to buy, but she needs more information to make an informed purchase.
2. PLAY: The retailer provides store, brand and product information throughout the store via store associates with mobile devices, digital signage and targeted mobile messaging.
3. LINEUP: An in-store digital ecosystem featuring strategically placed interactive digital signage, tablet-enabled associates, beacons that deliver relevant information on the products directly to the guests’ mobile devices, and high-availability caching to deliver rich-media experiences.
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The Customer Journey Playbook � 4
Emily has stopped at the Health & Beauty section. She picks up a product she has been considering, but is unsure if it’s the right choice. Then she notices that a nearby “sign” has now begun to play a message about the product. Emily engages with the “sign” and finds a few quick tips on how to best use the product and what other products work well when used together. This helps her make the best choice. She is so pleased that she buys two!
Conversions increase by 40% when shoppers access digital
technologies before and during the in-store shopping trip.
- Deloitte
PLAYBOOK STEP 2: EDUCATE
The Customer Journey Playbook � 5
Emily recognizes the sound of a crowd and sees several people gathered around a large interactive display. She walks over and finds multiple shoppers engaged with a video wall that has them competing against each other in a game. The game includes specific products being promoted in the store that day. When the game is completed, the display asks the participants to check their heart rate monitor and share the results via social. Several of the shoppers, including Emily, head down the aisle to check out the products featured in the game. Emily adds a few of the products to her cart.
40% of retailers have acknowledged that bringing “more
of a digital/online experience to stores” is a top opportunity for
improving the in-store experience.
- Retail Systems Research
PLAYBOOK STEP 3: MOTIVATE
When shoppers receive relevant, informative and entertaining messaging while browsing store aisles, they are more likely to add items to their carts. Today’s retailers are learning the value of bringing the online experience into the store via interactive video, mobile messaging, digital signage and more. Approximately 40% of retailers have acknowledged that bringing “more of a digital/online experience to stores” is a top opportunity for improving the in-store experience, according to Retail Systems Research (RSR) in its What’s In Store For Stores report.
1. SITUATION: The shopper is moving through the store picking up only the items on her list. Then she heads for checkout.
2. PLAY: The shopper is in the store – don’t pass up the opportunity to increase the basket size with upsells and cross-sells!
3. LINEUP: Location-based messaging helps motivate shoppers to learn more about products and related offers as they walk through the aisles of the store. Additionally, large format digital signage provides spectacular displays that cut through the clutter and drive shoppers to underperforming categories.
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Emily has a coffee maker on her list, but when she gets to that aisle, the choices are overwhelming. Does it make the most sense to purchase the least expensive $20 machine that brews 5 cups, or should she consider the machine that brews individual cups of espresso but costs five times more? After considering the many options for 15 minutes, she is frustrated and decides to forgo the purchase for now. But a store associate has received an alert that a shopper has spent an unusually long time in the coffee maker section, receives an alert and hurries to Emily’s side. After showing Emily the benefits of each option via a mobile tablet, the store associate has helped Emily make a decision. She happily places the Espresso machine in her cart, along with extra coffee pods. She is happy that she received the help she needed in the nick of time!
PLAYBOOK STEP 4: ENGAGE
Some shoppers want to be left alone during the shopping trip, while others need help but often are afraid to ask. In fact, one in three shoppers will use their own devices to find information rather than asking an associate, according to Google in its Mobile In-Store report. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing: Consumers using their own smartphones frequently while shopping have shopping carts 25% to 50% larger than standard shoppers across categories like household care, electronics, appliances, and health and beauty, Google reported.
But educated store associates armed with digital technology also can help close the sale. As many as 69% of leading retailers are tapping new in-store technologies to help make their employees smarter and better informed, according to the RSR report.
1. SITUATION: The shopper spends an unusually long time in the home appliance area, then begins to walk away without selecting an item.
2. PLAY: Engage every shopper using the latest tools and technologies! If a shopper appears lost and unsure, they probably are looking for some help but may not know the right questions to ask.
3. LINEUP: Interactive components increase shopper engagement which motivates an uptick in sales. Gestural technologies and QR codes help to inform and engage shoppers without involving store associates. Small-format interactive displays/tablets can help guide shoppers through difficult purchase decisions.
ONE in THREE shoppers will use their
own devices to find information rather than
ask an associate.
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The Customer Journey Playbook � 6
Emily doesn’t consider herself an expert on fashion, so she hesitates to try to figure out how to put together choices for an outfit for Saturday night’s cocktail party. But then she sees an interactive digital display that allows her to select a blouse then see which pants, shoes, purse, jewelry and scarf could be chosen to create a complete outfit. She is entertained and amazed, spends a few more minutes searching different outfit options, then chooses her favorite choice. This purchase quickly increased from zero items to 7 with the help of digital innovation.
When using digital technology for shopping, basket size can
increase by 25% .
- Deloitte
Because today’s consumers have so many choices when it comes to shopping, they often need a reason to spend the time and energy visiting a store. Innovative and unique shopping experiences will keep them coming back for more.
Technologies such as virtual shopping assistants will make the in-store experience more personalized and memorable, and will motivate consumers to shop the brand again. The fact is: When using digital technology for shopping, basket size can increase by 25%, Deloitte reported.
1. SITUATION: Strolling near the apparel section, the shopper realizes she needs an outfit for an upcoming party, but she doesn’t know where to begin.
2. PLAY: Engage, entertain and delight consumers of all ages with new and innovative offerings. Shoppers will return over and over again if they anticipate a unique, fun and interesting experience.
3. LINEUP: Digital. Digital. Digital. Take every opportunity to incorporate digital solutions into the store, via kiosks, mobile apps and signage throughout the store environment.
PLAYBOOK STEP 5: INNOVATE
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The Customer Journey Playbook � 7
Retailers must “develop a mobile-first approach to all loyalty and promotions to maximize ROI.”
- Greg Girard, IDC
The Customer Journey Playbook � 8
Emily has had a very enriching and productive shopping experience. She is quickly becoming a loyal, long-term customer and she should be rewarded for that. With the right solutions in place at the POS, Emily can receive relevant, personalized offers she can use the next time she returns to the store. And now is the time to get her feedback, while this positive shopping experience is fresh in her mind. When her purchase is complete she is identified as a high-value shopper. A store associate receives this alert and approaches Emily to complete a shopping survey on an in-store tablet before she exits the store. If Emily doesn’t have the time to complete the survey at the store, the associate can forward the survey to her via the mobile app. Once she completes the survey, Emily receives another bonus coupon for her next visit — which is sure to be soon!
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Consumers want to be appreciated, noticed and rewarded for being loyal customers. Be sure to identify the most valuable shoppers and provide them incentives to become long-term customers. Also, take the time to ask them for feedback and input to help improve the shopping experience. And tapping mobile and digital technologies to improve loyalty will be the key to success, according to Greg Girard, Program Director for IDC: Retailers must “develop a mobile-first approach to all loyalty and promotions to maximize ROI.”
1. SITUATION: Let’s face it. Today’s shoppers want to be appreciated and identified as long as it’s in a relevant
manner. A shopper who is not rewarded for her loyalty may be easily diverted to the competition.
2. PLAY: Collect and analyze all relevant data on every shopper. Be sure to thank loyal shoppers for their patronage and provide offers and promotions for the next shopping trip. Don’t hesitate to ask shoppers for their input at every touch point.
3. LINEUP: In-app messaging, POS coupons and offers, surveys delivered via in-store tablets or kiosks, or via mobile apps.
PLAYBOOK STEP 6: REWARD
The Customer Journey Playbook � 9
CONCLUSIONRetailers now need to be (virtually) hand-in-hand with shoppers from the moment they start to think about a purchase through check-out and beyond. That process can be achieved in a seemingly infinite number of ways, as consumers access the brand via mobile, digital, social and in-store experiences.
This six-step Playbook has outlined the ways retailers can meet consumers at every step of the shopper journey with relevant and personalized tools and technologies. The results will include more loyal shoppers, more frequent shopping trips and larger cart sizes.
ABOUT STRATACACHE
STRATACACHE is the premier provider of customizable digital signage, digital merchandising, mobile enablement and rich media solutions; solutions that help captivate and influence customers at the point-of-decision, leading to new sales opportunities. With over 1.3 million deployments, we have the deepest and widest footprint in the market and consistently enhance our offerings to better serve your customers.
The Customer Journey Playbook � 10
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