The Rise of the Retail Marketing Machines
A savvy shopper in 2015 needs two hands: one to touch the merchandise, and one to use her smartphone.
Google Shopper Marketing Council research tells us that 84% of smartphone owners use that phone to help shop while in a brick-and-mortar retail location, and that shoppers who frequently use their smartphone in-store spend 40-50% more.
Showrooming notwithstanding, the rise of the smartphone is a huge opportunity for retail marketers to up their in-store game. That intersection of online and offline – that space where digital benefits cross over to the physical shopping experience – can be omnichannel Nirvana.
Retailers that use in-store mobile strategies to create instant, personalized interactions with shoppers will increase customer satisfaction, brand loyalty – and profits. (And by the way, give the shopper free WiFi. She expects it.)
This year, we will see unprecedented growth in the mobile in-store technology space. Interactive displays, magic mirrors, beacon technology, smart shelves, wireless sensors and more will all connect to that device in her hand.
It’s already started. Here are 25 things the shopper can do in-store with her smartphone:
- Check a competitor’s price
- Retrieve a coupon
- Email a pic of herself in the outfit she’s considering
- Scan in-store codes for info and deals
- Look at product reviews
- Pay for her purchases
- Receive receipts
- Seek fashion advice among her Facebook friends
- Add to her Pinterest pic collection
- Research a brand’s carbon footprint
- Build a shopping list
- Be alerted to a sale on her favorite yogurt
- Facetime with friends to gather opinions
- Check her bank account
- Text the garage so she can pick up her car
- View a Fashion Week video on YouTube
- Consult an image app
- Tweet about a great deal she’s found
- Download an online recipe for an ingredients list
- Confirm her loyalty points
- Consult store map to find the kitchenware department
- Scan her wish list
- Preview a new CD
- Question a virtual sales rep
- Search for restaurants in the area (for après shopping)
Oh, and she can make a phone call…to gush about her great experience.
