Multichannel Retail
Customer shopping behaviour is changing at a rapid rate, as technological advances develop, broadband speeds get faster, smart phone sales increase and hardware becomes cheaper and more accessible to the masses.
Portaltech can work with you to develop how you market, sell and serve your customers across all customer channel touchpoints: in store, online, mobile, printed catalogue and customer services, analysing your needs and providing recommendations and solutions.
Where consumer’s experience of a brand or retailer was once confined to a store and possibly a catalogue, now customers expect a website too, micro sites for entertainment, clothing and fashion led brands, mobile applications for their iphone, HTML direct marketing with vouchers and offers and the possibility to link directly to social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, to join groups, blogs or become a fan.
eCommerce sales continue to surge forward year on year, with a sales growth of 13.3% (to end of 2009), accounting for £20.9 billion retail sales. The online channel is predicted to siphon off 10.0% of total retail sales by 2013. (data courtesy of Verdict)
The proliferation of smart phones across the UK (1 in 5 customers will own a smart phone by the end of 2010) means that customers now expect ‘instant’ product information and retail gratification whilst ‘out and about’ and these shopping behaviours, demands and expectations further translate into all the shopping channels they experience.
These ‘Super Shoppers’ no longer operate within a single channel and are looking for a total brand experience that is seamless, consistent and complimentary, whether in store, online or via their mobile.
Businesses need to review and evaluate whether their websites and channels are equipped to deliver to this new ‘Super Consumer’ through multichannels and ensure that their website platforms, marketing channels and digital marketing is robust enough to deliver to their increasing and demanding customer base. Retailers who embrace these changes will be the success stories over the next decade.
