5. Consumer expectations have increased in two major
areas
Customer Experience
The physical and digital blur
Continuous Commerce
Commerce commerce everywhere
7. What consumers expect
Consumers expect ease, simplicity and seamlessness between
the digital and physical worlds. The the barrier between ‘offline’
and ‘online’ is increasingly blurred, and consumers seek a
frictionless experience between touch points.
12. Brands like Warby Parker are
leveraging the digital and physical
to make the customer experience
easy, consistent, and seamless. It’s
a brand differentiator.
13. Brands such as Everlane are leveraging digital tools
to enrich the real world customer experience
14. What is the implication for brands?
Every time we consider a consumer’s buying experience in the
real world, we need to consider how digital and physical (and even
virtual) can combine to create a really powerful experience across
the customer journey.
This is no longer a ‘nice to have’ - consumers expect it and the
best experiences blur the lines.
16. What consumers expect
Consumers expect a smooth segue from browsing to buying.
Social commerce platforms inspire brand consideration and
purchase intent, and brands need to be able to deliver in those
moments.
To say that consumers expect an easy experience doesn’t mean
that commerce can’t be social, emotional, or fun. Leading brands
are leveraging digital to deliver on rational & emotional needs.
17. The return of social commerce
“It’s impossible to write an article about social commerce without
referring to the much heralded false dawn that was Facebook
Commerce. That failed as it was just bolting a catalogue and a
store onto a social network and did not make the actual sales
process social. In other words, it was not ‘social commerce’.”
Gideon Lask, Former Head of
eCommerce HMV
20. We know that ¾ of active pinners use
Pinterest to plan for the future
21. Fashion disrupter
Net-a-Porter
leads the industry with
its latest social
commerce app.
‘The Net Set’ combines
the ease & convenience
of digital with the
emotion and magic of
shopping in store.
22. It’s now so easy to purchase
Amazon Dash suggests that when it comes
to retail, sometimes ‘easy’ beats ‘brilliant’
25. What is the implication for brands?
If technology makes purchase in the moment so easy, then we
need to make it easy as possible to help customers buy the brand.
Only by understanding the customer journey and their needs can
we construct relevant purchase triggers.
Buying moments aren’t limited to the conversion section of the
customer journey – you’ll find them if you look hard enough.
26. Closing thoughts
1.Rather than just marketing to customers we need to talk about
creating best in class consumer experiences for them. Customer-
led is the key to retail success
1.A lot of the technology is available right this moment, brands just
haven’t yet pieced it all together to create a coherent experience
1.The customer journey is no longer linear in nature-thanks in large
part to digital, the process has become lateral. It’s up to brands to
provide an experience that consistently delivers on customer
expectations at the relevant points of the customer journey
27. Matt Holt
Director, Digital Strategy at OgilvyOne
@MattSocial
Greater Expectations:
Engaging the new retail consumer
Notas do Editor
When it comes to retail, consumer needs haven’t changed all that much. They still want the best products or services for them at the right place and time. They still seek a seamless experience that is consistent across touch points, whether digital or physical.
What has changed are consumer expectations.
The rise of same day delivery services, Uber, entertainment streaming services, and others have heightened our expectations.
More than ever before, consumers are seeking instant gratification.
And that demand isn’t limited to products and services: it’s also about product discovery, information, and comparison.
Heightened consumer expectations: the facts
By some reports, customer satisfaction in the UK has plunged to its lowest point since 2010 (according to Institute of Customer Service)
Basic needs aren’t being met:
Of top 50 high street retailers in the UK…
40% don’t have mobile optimized store locators
20% don’t have transactional mobile site
30% don’t have iOS or Android app
46% don’t feature responsive web design
44% don’t have tablet-optimised sites
Brands are moving from marketing stunts towards innovations that improve consumer experience.
Usage of wearables predicted to double this year. Whilst Just 7% of UK adults currently own a wearable device (sports watch, fitness band, smart glasses), 1 in 5 report being extremely interested in owning.
Interest in wearables most pronounced for 25-25 age group: 26% express intent to purchase a smart watch (eMarketer)
Disney has introduced the Magic Band to its theme-park customers; it’s a wearable bracelet that’s much more than just an admissions ticket. It allows customers to go on rides and attractions at a previously-booked time, and it can be a form of payment on various Disney properties. Aside from opening many doors for the customer, it also provides Disney a wealth of information about customer behaviour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2buVLVO-6F8
Use of wearables will double in 2015.
Disney has introduced the Magic Band to its theme-park customers; it’s a wearable bracelet that’s much more than just an admissions ticket. It allows customers to go on rides and attractions at a previously-booked time, and it can be a form of payment on various Disney properties. Aside from opening many doors for the customer, it also provides Disney a wealth of information about customer behaviour
I am going to focus on 2 major areas today: Customer experience and commerce
Consumers are expecting a seamless, consistent, and easy experience
Commerce is continuous, and more connected than ever. As consumers gain access to more information and tools, their path to purchase becomes less linear, and more lateral.
What does this mean for brands? For one, they need to leverage all channels to close the gap between product discovery and purchase intent. Making the purchase process more simple and consistent demands a firm understanding of the consumer. Brands that succeed first endeavor to meet expectations, and from there, differentiate.
Connecting the digital and physical worlds isn’t a new phenomenon, but increasingly brands are looking to blur the two words for one cohesive experience.
[Tesco]
A successful brand venture in digital/physical depends on a firm understanding of customer needs and behaviours.
Virtual shops where customers are waiting for transport (‘dead time’) fulfills a customer need, making top-up shops convenient by fitting them into an existing point on the journey.
Click and collect is a rising trend that fits with our two focus areas: CX and continuous commerce.
Usage of click and collect is on the rise, particularly amongst Millennials (18-34), who are are more willing to click and collect groceries: compared to the general population (46% vs. 34%).
47% UK consumers used Click & Collect last Christmas. Most popular categories included fashion, gadgets, and household tech like TV. Least popular were bulkier items like furniture/kitchenware
Amazon launched collection lockers across London underground stations, Doodle opened up parcel collection stores across 13 UK railway stations, Waitrose chilled food lockers, Asda and Tesco C&C vans and Drive-thru C&C points increase as well as eBay’s extended partnership with Argos in the UK allowing customers to pick-up goods across 650 stores by the end of the year. (2015 Mintel Trends data)
Consumer data to support: 35% of UK consumers have used C&C in the past year and 64% say that they shop more online now due to ease of delivery and returns (Mintel, 2015)
Customer preference for physical store vs. online depends on the nature of the product.
We do know, however, that having both makes customer more likely to purchases in some instances
Consumers more likely to purchase when they have access to both online/offline
44% UK consumers more likely to purchase online if they can pick up in store
62% UK consumers shoppers more likely to purchase online if they can return in store
In 2014, we saw a number of ecommerce-first businesses expand into the offline realm. Former online pure-play Birchbox, for example, opened its first physical shop in Soho last July, while companies like Bonobos and Warby Parker doubled down on brick-and-mortar by opening even more physical stores in 2014.
Google and Amazon are opening stores on high street
We anticipate this trend to continue in 2015. Why?
Consumers more likely to purchase when they have access to both online/offline
44% UK consumers more likely to purchase online if they can pick up in store
62% UK consumers shoppers more likely to purchase online if they can return in store
For one thing, the majority of overall retail sales are still taking place offline, and ecommerce sites have realized that they need to set up physical shops if they want to gain significant market share. Additionally, the need to provide seamless online to in-store experiences continues to grow, and successfully pulling this off requires both a digital and physical presence.
According to eMarketer, ½ UK social media users say that shopping online lacks the social experiences you get in store. 6/10 UK consumers miss the element of help/advice that comes from in-store shopping.
Amongst UK consumers, in-store still leads as the place where the shopping experience BEGINS.
53% in-store
36% retailer website
5.6% mobile app
2.3% contact centre/catalog
0.9% social media
Ecommerce sites setting up shop offline is, on one hand, good news for the brick-and-mortar realm because it validates the need for physical retail. However, this also means that Main Street is going to get a whole lot more competitive, and traditional brick-and-mortar retailers must step up their game in order to win.
To do this, we predict that merchants will further enrich the in-store experience by offering services on top of “stuff.” Take for example, Birchbox’s Soho location. In addition to playing video tutorials to keep shoppers informed and inspired, the retailer also offers hair, makeup and nail services in its store.
Brands that launched exclusively in eCommerce are increasingly opening brick and mortar stores. Physical space offers a way to meet consumer demand, build brand equity, and learn from customer interactions with product.
https://www.vendhq.com/university/retail-trends-and-predictions-2015
Brands that launched exclusively in eCommerce are increasingly opening brick and mortar stores. Physical space offers a way to meet consumer demand, build brand equity, and learn from customer interactions with product.
Warby Parker seemed all digital to begin with, but increasing consumer demand and a strong business case for brick & mortar shops has lead to a growing set of stores across the US. All signs point to intention to stay-the brand has just taken up a 10 year lease in New York’s SoHo neighborhood opposite the Apple store
Birchbox, the company known for selling subscriptions to beauty product samples by mail, is leveraging physical space to optimise the CX. More than 800,000 women subscribe to the company’s monthly beauty sample boxes online, so why the physical store? It’s a vehicle to express the brand purpose and identity. More importantly, the physical store represents a chance to gather customer and product insight from some of the brand’s obsessive and devoted customers.
The store relies heavily on the brand’s digital presence: “The iPads placed around the floor offer more products, reviews, and video tutorials from Birchbox.com. A physical display in the front of the store shows a rotating inventory of the top online sellers, and a large interactive display in the back allows shoppers to input their attributes (hair type, skin color, age, et cetera) for new product recommendations using their finger.”
http://fortune.com/2014/07/11/birchbox-soho-store/
US eyeglass retailer Warby Parker raised $100 million to expand physical store locations and allow consumers to conduct eye exams on mobile phones
Warby Parker seemed all digital to begin with, but increasing consumer demand and a strong business case for brick & mortar shops has lead to a growing set of stores across the US. All signs point to intention to stay-the brand has just taken up a 10 year lease in New York’s SoHo neighborhood opposite the Apple store
California-based retailer Everlane has placed snapchat at the heart of their marketing strategy, using it for exclusive product launches, giving a glimpse into company factories, and even company parties.
http://www.psfk.com/2015/05/everlane-fashion-retailers-on-snapchat-secret-shops-roi.html
Customer journeys are critical, and brands should see them as dynamic constructs informed by fresh insights.
Brands need to meet basic standards for a seamless online/offline experience.
Of top 50 high street retailers in the UK…
40% don’t have mobile optimized store locators
20% don’t have transactional mobile site
30% don’t have iOS or Android app
46% don’t feature responsive web design
44% don’t have tablet-optimised sites
New apps and tools are making it easier to shop from social, but consumer comments asking ‘where can I buy this?’ on social show that there is still work to be done to make the experience more seamless.
Continuous Commerce:
eCommerce is expected to grow 87% from 2013-2018, while mCommerce is expect to grow 157% (eMarketer/April 2014)
In the UK, mobile shopping is growing at nearly 4x the rate of overall online spending (IPSOS/Paypal study)
Social Commerce:
In 2014, Commerce orders coming from social media grew 202%.
Organic and paid search still dominates, but social media is becoming more and more effective at driving sales
75% of UK consumers have used social networks to make a purchasing decision
Social-driven retail sales & referral traffic are rising at a faster pace than all other online channels
If social shopping takes off—and there’s a good chance that it will—users will be able to enjoy a more seamless shopping experience. The clunky transition from one channel to the next (i.e. social to ecommerce) will be eliminated and purchases will be completed much faster.
According to a piece of US research by Business Insider, the Top 500 retailers earned $3.3 Billion from social shopping in 2014, up 26%. This is well ahead of the ~`6% growth rate for eCommerce.
Pinterest is ‘about the future’
74% of active pinners use Pinterest to plan for future purchases
Social Sharing & comparing can drive purchase
According to Bazaar voice, 50% of social purchases in the UK occur within one week of sharing an item on a social site
We know that 75% UK consumers have used social to make a purchase decision, but how well set up are brands to facilitate a social shop?
Net-A-Porter, lauded as the main disruptor in the fashion industry, has recently launched new app called ‘The Net Set’ that combines features of a social app with a simplified, direct ‘Buy now’ trigger.
Features include browsing a live feed to see what’s trending, admire 15 ‘Style Council’ members and shop along with them, and join style tribes to uncover like-minded user, content, brands and inspiration. Consumers can shop everything direct from app
The app makes use of digital technologies such as image recognition and live feed of what’s trending based on shopper data, and aims to recreate some of the magic of brick and mortar buying.
Other apps and tools allow consumers to shop as soon as inspiration hits, but brands themselves aren’t doing enough to simplify purchase.
In their book, The New Rules of Retail, Robin Lewis and Michael Dart brought up an excellent point about modern retail success. According to them, if retailers truly want to provide compelling shopper experiences, they would have to take more control of how their products are manufactured, marketed, and distributed.
According to Nielsen global research:
One quarter of respondents were already ordering grocery products online for home delivery
55% are willing to do so in the future
14% use an automatic online subscription service
54% are willing to consider online subscription services in the future