Retail-2016: potential in the development of technological solutions
The task of the MEGA Accelerator participants is to create solutions that will help improve the shopping experience of visitors to the shopping center. It is difficult to work blindly - you need to know trends, trends and innovations, to understand what modern retail trade lives in and what 2016 is preparing for it. As you know, a shopping center is a combination of shopping, entertainment, service, and so on. That is how it should be considered. An important element of any shopping center is shops, boutiques, hypermarkets - everything that is called retail.
What tendencies in the behavior of customers should be taken into account so that goods from ordinary and electronic stores scatter like hot cakes? What technical innovations will allow shopping centers to keep up with the times? How should loyalty programs change? Here are 12 predictions from the Vend that will shed light on these and other relevant issues.
By the way, this photo was sold to a collector for $ 3,346,456.
We read the article in MEGA Accelerator together with Dmitry Bergelson, the GVA Launch Gurus coach and the managing partner of Holmes & Moriarty. He discussed with us the main trends and shared his vision of the relationship of the shopping center, retail, technology and the consumer. We managed to question him about innovations in consumer experience, current types of loyalty programs, the image of the ideal store and its possible changes resulting from life in the new conditions of the information society.
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The growth of mobile payments and the release of EMV cards in the US will push retailers to renew their payment terminals. This will not only increase the level of security, but also increase the number of ways to pay for purchases.
Notable players in the payment systems market are already working in this direction. For example, PayPal recently introduced a PayPal Here device for reading cards with chips. It is compatible with iOS and Android, supports work with EMV-cards and with traditional magnetic stripe cards. In addition, it is able to accept NFC-payments - this technology is involved in the payment systems Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay.
There is a similar solution to Mercury. Its use in retail makes it possible to accept payments from EMV-cards and from mobile payment systems. There is a product Poynt - a smart terminal that supports several payment technologies. Among them are magnetic stripe cards, EMV cards, NFC payments and payments through QR codes.
Retail networks are actively introducing such payment technologies, as a result, we can expect that more and more stores will start to accept additional payment types, of which EMV cards and mobile payments are the most significant.
For example, LifeLine Repairs, one of the Vend customers, has begun the transition to supporting new payment methods at an early stage of development, with only two stores. They plan to deploy a network of 23 more outlets and know that the process of introducing new payment methods will be much easier if you start it in advance.
As part of the traditional click-and-collect programs, the buyer is usually offered to purchase goods from an online store and pick it up from a regular store. In 2016, we can expect the growth of the role of mobile devices in this scheme.
Scheme "buy online, take offline" in action
Retailers are increasingly experimenting with mobile sites and apps to facilitate this type of shopping. Some companies, such as Kohl's, give customers the opportunity to make purchases from a mobile device and pick them up from regular stores. Others, such as Sam's Club (Walmart), use mobile channels to send product notifications that, after an order, arrived at the corresponding store and are ready to be transferred to the buyer.
Nordstrom is also considering using mobile technologies to improve the convenience of a “buy online, take offline” scheme. So, in May 2015, the company began testing services, in which the buyer can write a message or call Nordstrom, for example, driving to the store by car. Then the store employee collects everything that the customer needs, and goes to him. The client, as a result, makes a purchase and receives the goods, even without leaving the car.
Above, we have given only a couple of examples of how mobile technologies are beginning to play an increasingly significant role in online purchases, which are taken from ordinary stores. In 2016, we expect an increase in the number of such schemes of interaction with customers.
How about us? Dmitry comments:
As modern buyers find their way to products using multiple channels, the collection and study of disparate data no longer brings the expected results.
In 2016, the number of retailers will grow, which will jointly analyze data from regular stores and from electronic trading platforms. This approach will allow them to get a more complete picture of consumer behavior in the market.
Barneys is a great example of a company that understands the power of unified data.
Matthew Woolsey, executive vice president of digital technologies at Barneys, in an interview for the Washington Post, said that the observation of the behavior of customers on the Internet and in ordinary stores revealed that many women who bought jewelry in traditional stores , before that they were interested in the Internet.
If Barneys had only studied information about customers gathered on the Internet, they would not have figured out that customers who looked at the jewelry online, eventually bought them in a simple store. Naturally, in this case, the company would not have a complete understanding of the features of the client's path to purchase.
We asked Dmitry, will buyers go online or technologies will come to retail?
Maximum simplicity and understandability of the shopping process has always been the goal of omnichannel retail. It is expected that in 2016 companies will look for additional ways to reduce the obstacles that stand between the buyer and the product.
It is safe to say that this process is already underway. Here, for example, is the Amazon Dash Button device, which allows you to order a pre-specified product literally at the touch of a button.
Amazon Dash Button Device
Other stores eliminate obstacles in the procedures for obtaining customers of all kinds of bonuses. Take, for example, Starbucks, which recently simplified and accelerated this process by updating the screen of its application with bar codes to display rewards, special offers, and coupons available to the buyer. Thus, users will not forget that they have, for example, a discount, and they no longer need to open a special application page in order to get this discount.
At the same time, companies engaged in mobile payments are constantly looking for ways to eliminate barriers when paying for goods. For example, Apple's mobile wallet can automatically recognize NFC readers. As a result, users do not need to take the phone out of sleep mode or open applications in order to make a payment.
We expect that the introduction of mobile devices placed in stores will continue in retail in 2016. Among them - mPOS-terminals and tablet PCs.
One of the examples of the effective use of this approach is demonstrated by the seller of goods for the kitchen Borough Kitchen, which uses the Vend software on iPads. The availability of a tablet-based POS system allowed the company to improve the quality of customer service and speed up the purchase procedure. For example, the founders of the company David Caldana and Justin Cowbel say that all they have to do during moments of a special influx of customers and on the weekends is to add new cash registers, including additional tablets. This allows them to reduce queues and beat checks much faster.
Dmitry told us that we are making the store special:
Modern customers still appreciate customer rewards and promotions, but they no longer play the same significant role in attracting customers as they used to. According to the MasterCard study , only 18% of respondents recognize the importance of promotions. The study also found that: "... when choosing a retailer, the omnichannel buyer puts in the first place the value of the goods, the reputation of the seller and the convenience of making a purchase, and not reward for loyalty."
This does not mean that traditional loyalty programs will not be successful in 2016. But, it is important to note that a simple discount offer to the buyer is not enough to remain competitive. In the coming months and years, retailers who have every chance of becoming successful are those who offer customers personalized rewards along with excellent products and a convenient shopping process.
In addition, we expect retailers to adopt technologies that allow this to be achieved. Traditional loyalty programs will be replaced by programs based on mobile technologies, which not only make the process of getting bonuses easier, but also enrich the experience of the buyer’s interaction with the seller.
A MasterCard study says that today eight out of ten shoppers use a computer, smartphone, tablet or terminals located in stores when making purchases. The company Forrester predicts that the volume of retail inter-channel sales in the United States will reach $ 1.8 trillion in 2017.
The omnichannel scheme of interaction between buyers and sellers continues to evolve. In order to remain in trend, retailers, whether they start a business from a traditional store, or from an online platform, will have to combine systems of conventional and electronic stores to serve new-type customers.
We see a lot of retail companies that rely on omnichannelity. For example, the online subscription service Birchbox, which opened its first regular store in 2014, organized temporary stores in various US cities to determine where it is worth deploying a full-format marketplace. And here, for example, Nasty Gal, a company that in the past traded exclusively through the Internet, and now has opened two ordinary stores in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, retailers, which already have both regular and electronic stores, are working to organize communication between various sales channels. For example, Macy's, which, in addition to typical omnichannel offers, such as the ability to pick up in the regular store what was bought on the Internet, allows buyers to browse the catalog of the local store on the company's website. This gives them the opportunity to see exactly what is available in the nearest Macy's store. The customer can either buy what he needs and pick up at the store, or order delivery, which is carried out on the day of purchase.
Macy's mobile application allows customers to scan the bar codes of products in the store, as a result, they can quickly see reviews of products in the online store, information about discounts and so on.
The days when online stores and regular trading platforms were managed separately, will soon be a thing of the past, as more and more retailers are switching to sales management systems that form a single array of data across all sales channels.
A unified control system for various sales channels is an integral part of any modern retail strategy. If data on sales, products, customers from different sales channels are collected in one place, this allows the retailer to more effectively use omnichannel events. As a result, we expect an increase in the proliferation of such systems.
The omnichannel scheme of work will also attract more retailers to the introduction of cloud applications, since such solutions support fast scaling, allow you to work from anywhere and in real time to see data on various aspects of the business.
In 2016, we will see how more and more small and medium retailers are implementing unified management systems for various sales channels and cloud tools. Such companies are flexible, they are usually not tied to large and complex outdated accounting, analysis and control systems. As a result, they can quickly switch to omnichannel sales support technologies.
The transition to omnichannel sales promises not only advantages, but also means the appearance of many additional difficulties. This applies not only to purely technical issues, such as the organization of work and the execution of orders. It becomes more difficult, for example, to deal with fraud. Some isolated security systems, applicable, for example, in a regular store, now do not work.
Unfortunately, the data on the fight against omnichannel fraud in 2015 is not impressive. ACI Universal Payments invited Forrester Consulting to conduct a study of how retailers deal with fraud in various distribution channels. As a result, it was found that 65% of retailers believe that they lack the tools to effectively combat omnichannel fraud.
In addition, it was found that "... only 46% of companies have integrated systems to combat fraud, taking into account data from different distribution channels", and "... 54% of retailers say that they do not have qualified personnel to fight against omnichannel environment".
However, despite such studies, we believe that the statistics in 2016 will change for the better. Although the fight against omnichannel fraud will remain an area full of surprises, we expect that more and more retailers will come to understand the importance of creating a universal security system that covers various distribution channels.
That is why we are seeing an increase in the number of retailers that integrate security systems that are “scattered” before through various sales channels. By doing this, they can quickly detect suspicious actions and take action, and it does not matter where and how this happened. As a result, they can increase the security of the shopping process for their customers.
Social networks have long played an important role in shopping, this trend will continue in 2016 and in subsequent years. We expect an increase in the number of implementations of solutions for sales in social networks. For example, such as Soldsie (sales in the comments) and Like2Buy (sales through galleries that users create).
Sales system in the comments
Topshelf Style clothing retailer demonstrates a great working example of sales through social networks. TopShelf uses Soldsie, a platform that allows you to sell products through Instagram comments. When a company places products on Instagram, a customer needs to write a “sold” comment and enter an email address to make a purchase. After that, Soldsie writes a check and sends it to the buyer, who, as a result, can complete the purchase.
At the moment, Instagram is leading in terms of the commercial use of social networks, however, this does not mean that other social services will not develop this direction. So, in 2015, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest launched their own shopping services, and although they have not yet become widely spread, it can be expected that social networks will continue to invest in commerce systems.
In addition, we expect users to continue using social networks to search for products and to discuss them. As a result, retailers should continue to invest in sales through social services.
Today, many retailers come to understand that having as many products as possible in a store does not necessarily help them win a customer. The modern buyer is overloaded with a wealth of choice, so sometimes expanding the range can do more harm than good.
This may well be one of the reasons because of which we see an increase in subscription sales services that carefully select products that are offered to customers. Such services make it easier for buyers to search and select processes, saving them time and not letting them get tired, selecting what they need among a huge amount of goods.
If you look to the future, we expect that many retailers will follow a similar path. Sellers will understand that they need to carefully select products, instead of mindlessly filling the shelves of stores. And they will win the buyer not because they offer him a huge selection, but because they offer the best products in their class and the assortment relevant to the target market. And also - they can deliver the product to the buyer, using the appropriate sales channels for each particular buyer.
Mobile devices are just the beginning. In addition to using mPOS systems and tablet computers in sales areas, some retailers (particularly large ones) are very likely to look for ways to use Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in their stores.
According to McKinsey's research , it turned out that using IoT in retail stores can have an economic impact of between 410 billion and 1.2 trillion dollars a year in 2025. The forecast is, of course, long-term, however, this does not mean that progressive retailers today will not start moving towards the Internet of Things.
This year, the first retailers are expected to start using devices connected to the Internet in order to streamline the process of shopping in stores and establish a new process of interaction with customers. According to McKinsey, examples of using IoT include devices for automatically calculating a customer, for tracking consumer behavior in real time, and for sending personalized offers to customers.
The main focus of retailers in 2016 will be riveted on omnichanalnosti. It doesn't matter what industry you work in, no matter how complex your business processes are, but the convergence of e-commerce and convenience stores is important for every aspect of the retail business. Retail trade is moving towards the formation of a single universal channel of interaction with the customer, which includes all the channels that were previously more or less independent.
Dmitry summarized the discussion:
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What tendencies in the behavior of customers should be taken into account so that goods from ordinary and electronic stores scatter like hot cakes? What technical innovations will allow shopping centers to keep up with the times? How should loyalty programs change? Here are 12 predictions from the Vend that will shed light on these and other relevant issues.
By the way, this photo was sold to a collector for $ 3,346,456.
We read the article in MEGA Accelerator together with Dmitry Bergelson, the GVA Launch Gurus coach and the managing partner of Holmes & Moriarty. He discussed with us the main trends and shared his vision of the relationship of the shopping center, retail, technology and the consumer. We managed to question him about innovations in consumer experience, current types of loyalty programs, the image of the ideal store and its possible changes resulting from life in the new conditions of the information society.')
1. Retailers will provide buyers with more ways to pay for purchases.
The growth of mobile payments and the release of EMV cards in the US will push retailers to renew their payment terminals. This will not only increase the level of security, but also increase the number of ways to pay for purchases.
Notable players in the payment systems market are already working in this direction. For example, PayPal recently introduced a PayPal Here device for reading cards with chips. It is compatible with iOS and Android, supports work with EMV-cards and with traditional magnetic stripe cards. In addition, it is able to accept NFC-payments - this technology is involved in the payment systems Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay.
There is a similar solution to Mercury. Its use in retail makes it possible to accept payments from EMV-cards and from mobile payment systems. There is a product Poynt - a smart terminal that supports several payment technologies. Among them are magnetic stripe cards, EMV cards, NFC payments and payments through QR codes.
Retail networks are actively introducing such payment technologies, as a result, we can expect that more and more stores will start to accept additional payment types, of which EMV cards and mobile payments are the most significant.
For example, LifeLine Repairs, one of the Vend customers, has begun the transition to supporting new payment methods at an early stage of development, with only two stores. They plan to deploy a network of 23 more outlets and know that the process of introducing new payment methods will be much easier if you start it in advance.
2. Mobile devices will play a more important role in online purchases that are picked up in regular stores.
As part of the traditional click-and-collect programs, the buyer is usually offered to purchase goods from an online store and pick it up from a regular store. In 2016, we can expect the growth of the role of mobile devices in this scheme.
Scheme "buy online, take offline" in action
Retailers are increasingly experimenting with mobile sites and apps to facilitate this type of shopping. Some companies, such as Kohl's, give customers the opportunity to make purchases from a mobile device and pick them up from regular stores. Others, such as Sam's Club (Walmart), use mobile channels to send product notifications that, after an order, arrived at the corresponding store and are ready to be transferred to the buyer.
Nordstrom is also considering using mobile technologies to improve the convenience of a “buy online, take offline” scheme. So, in May 2015, the company began testing services, in which the buyer can write a message or call Nordstrom, for example, driving to the store by car. Then the store employee collects everything that the customer needs, and goes to him. The client, as a result, makes a purchase and receives the goods, even without leaving the car.
Above, we have given only a couple of examples of how mobile technologies are beginning to play an increasingly significant role in online purchases, which are taken from ordinary stores. In 2016, we expect an increase in the number of such schemes of interaction with customers.
How about us? Dmitry comments:
Leading retailers, of course, very seriously consider promising technologies - and not only in the field of online trading. Any solution to reduce costs, increase efficiency and ensure sales growth will be in demand, with two important reservations - the result must be measurable and confirmed, and the economic efficiency of using this tool must be sufficiently high. It is also important to note that the huge potential is concentrated in the development of technological solutions that reduce operational or capital expenditures — at that time, how often bright marketing applications turn out to be visible to the general public as the “tip of the iceberg.”
3. Retailers will consolidate the collection of data on customers in regular and online stores.
As modern buyers find their way to products using multiple channels, the collection and study of disparate data no longer brings the expected results.
In 2016, the number of retailers will grow, which will jointly analyze data from regular stores and from electronic trading platforms. This approach will allow them to get a more complete picture of consumer behavior in the market.
Barneys is a great example of a company that understands the power of unified data.
Matthew Woolsey, executive vice president of digital technologies at Barneys, in an interview for the Washington Post, said that the observation of the behavior of customers on the Internet and in ordinary stores revealed that many women who bought jewelry in traditional stores , before that they were interested in the Internet.
If Barneys had only studied information about customers gathered on the Internet, they would not have figured out that customers who looked at the jewelry online, eventually bought them in a simple store. Naturally, in this case, the company would not have a complete understanding of the features of the client's path to purchase.
We asked Dmitry, will buyers go online or technologies will come to retail?
First, I see no contradictions between these two general tendencies, which go hand in hand. Secondly, I think it is necessary to consider five different aspects, partially independent, partially influencing each other.
- The overall trend in the growth of online purchases: this is a general movement, which is additionally accelerated due to two factors - omnichannel improves efficiency and speeds up turnover, and the crisis and the fall in real incomes force buyers to pay more attention to price comparisons, which spurs online shopping.
- Different online effects on different product groups: for example, it is difficult to compare the percentage of online sales of fresh food and consumer electronics.
- The growth of the volume and influence of online marketing individual communications: in this sense, individual messages and offers are particularly important, taking into account the history of consumer behavior and customer preferences, including through mobile applications
- Interactive solutions that are integrated into the process of off-line purchases, and are a continuation and development of "unidirectional" communications
- “New competition”: expanding the range of large online retailers that use their loyal audience can be an unpleasant surprise, not only for other online competitors, but also for quite traditional retailers.
4. Sellers will continue to simplify the purchase procedure.
Maximum simplicity and understandability of the shopping process has always been the goal of omnichannel retail. It is expected that in 2016 companies will look for additional ways to reduce the obstacles that stand between the buyer and the product.
It is safe to say that this process is already underway. Here, for example, is the Amazon Dash Button device, which allows you to order a pre-specified product literally at the touch of a button.
Amazon Dash Button Device
Other stores eliminate obstacles in the procedures for obtaining customers of all kinds of bonuses. Take, for example, Starbucks, which recently simplified and accelerated this process by updating the screen of its application with bar codes to display rewards, special offers, and coupons available to the buyer. Thus, users will not forget that they have, for example, a discount, and they no longer need to open a special application page in order to get this discount.
At the same time, companies engaged in mobile payments are constantly looking for ways to eliminate barriers when paying for goods. For example, Apple's mobile wallet can automatically recognize NFC readers. As a result, users do not need to take the phone out of sleep mode or open applications in order to make a payment.
5. Trading companies will master the use of mobile devices in stores.
We expect that the introduction of mobile devices placed in stores will continue in retail in 2016. Among them - mPOS-terminals and tablet PCs.
One of the examples of the effective use of this approach is demonstrated by the seller of goods for the kitchen Borough Kitchen, which uses the Vend software on iPads. The availability of a tablet-based POS system allowed the company to improve the quality of customer service and speed up the purchase procedure. For example, the founders of the company David Caldana and Justin Cowbel say that all they have to do during moments of a special influx of customers and on the weekends is to add new cash registers, including additional tablets. This allows them to reduce queues and beat checks much faster.
Dmitry told us that we are making the store special:
A store is a location, range, prices and atmosphere. Today, with the development of online communications capabilities, to this four is added the same notorious fifth element - communication (including interactive) between the store and the buyer outside the sales area. A balanced combination of the advantages of all these elements and the “non-general facial expression” make the store special - for a specific target audience. It is difficult to come up with, to design such a combination, but to realize it is immeasurably more difficult. Five has managed to do this, which is why we show exceptional results - both in absolute terms and in relation to the market and competitive environment.
6. Traditional loyalty programs live out the last days.
Modern customers still appreciate customer rewards and promotions, but they no longer play the same significant role in attracting customers as they used to. According to the MasterCard study , only 18% of respondents recognize the importance of promotions. The study also found that: "... when choosing a retailer, the omnichannel buyer puts in the first place the value of the goods, the reputation of the seller and the convenience of making a purchase, and not reward for loyalty."
This does not mean that traditional loyalty programs will not be successful in 2016. But, it is important to note that a simple discount offer to the buyer is not enough to remain competitive. In the coming months and years, retailers who have every chance of becoming successful are those who offer customers personalized rewards along with excellent products and a convenient shopping process.
In addition, we expect retailers to adopt technologies that allow this to be achieved. Traditional loyalty programs will be replaced by programs based on mobile technologies, which not only make the process of getting bonuses easier, but also enrich the experience of the buyer’s interaction with the seller.
From the point of view of tools and mechanics, of course, modern loyalty programs may little resemble the traditional collection of stickers or the presentation of a card for a discount (although this and other are not only very common, but also productive). If you do not touch the outside, then perhaps the key innovation is the real possibility of using big data analysis mechanisms - both due to the development of relevant technologies, and (even more) because corporations have finally accumulated enough data for their efficient processing. All of the stunning imagination and extremely effective tools of individual customization (including information about products or services with a high probability of conversion into a purchase, special price promotions, etc.) are ultimately just a consequence of the fact that “big data” means Start to work for real.
7. Companies selling exclusively through the Internet or only through regular stores will disappear
A MasterCard study says that today eight out of ten shoppers use a computer, smartphone, tablet or terminals located in stores when making purchases. The company Forrester predicts that the volume of retail inter-channel sales in the United States will reach $ 1.8 trillion in 2017.
The omnichannel scheme of interaction between buyers and sellers continues to evolve. In order to remain in trend, retailers, whether they start a business from a traditional store, or from an online platform, will have to combine systems of conventional and electronic stores to serve new-type customers.
We see a lot of retail companies that rely on omnichannelity. For example, the online subscription service Birchbox, which opened its first regular store in 2014, organized temporary stores in various US cities to determine where it is worth deploying a full-format marketplace. And here, for example, Nasty Gal, a company that in the past traded exclusively through the Internet, and now has opened two ordinary stores in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, retailers, which already have both regular and electronic stores, are working to organize communication between various sales channels. For example, Macy's, which, in addition to typical omnichannel offers, such as the ability to pick up in the regular store what was bought on the Internet, allows buyers to browse the catalog of the local store on the company's website. This gives them the opportunity to see exactly what is available in the nearest Macy's store. The customer can either buy what he needs and pick up at the store, or order delivery, which is carried out on the day of purchase.
Macy's mobile application allows customers to scan the bar codes of products in the store, as a result, they can quickly see reviews of products in the online store, information about discounts and so on.
8. More and more retailers will implement systems that integrate data through different sales channels and cloud solutions.
The days when online stores and regular trading platforms were managed separately, will soon be a thing of the past, as more and more retailers are switching to sales management systems that form a single array of data across all sales channels.
A unified control system for various sales channels is an integral part of any modern retail strategy. If data on sales, products, customers from different sales channels are collected in one place, this allows the retailer to more effectively use omnichannel events. As a result, we expect an increase in the proliferation of such systems.
The omnichannel scheme of work will also attract more retailers to the introduction of cloud applications, since such solutions support fast scaling, allow you to work from anywhere and in real time to see data on various aspects of the business.
In 2016, we will see how more and more small and medium retailers are implementing unified management systems for various sales channels and cloud tools. Such companies are flexible, they are usually not tied to large and complex outdated accounting, analysis and control systems. As a result, they can quickly switch to omnichannel sales support technologies.
9. Retailers will invest in combating omnichannel fraud
The transition to omnichannel sales promises not only advantages, but also means the appearance of many additional difficulties. This applies not only to purely technical issues, such as the organization of work and the execution of orders. It becomes more difficult, for example, to deal with fraud. Some isolated security systems, applicable, for example, in a regular store, now do not work.
Unfortunately, the data on the fight against omnichannel fraud in 2015 is not impressive. ACI Universal Payments invited Forrester Consulting to conduct a study of how retailers deal with fraud in various distribution channels. As a result, it was found that 65% of retailers believe that they lack the tools to effectively combat omnichannel fraud.
In addition, it was found that "... only 46% of companies have integrated systems to combat fraud, taking into account data from different distribution channels", and "... 54% of retailers say that they do not have qualified personnel to fight against omnichannel environment".
However, despite such studies, we believe that the statistics in 2016 will change for the better. Although the fight against omnichannel fraud will remain an area full of surprises, we expect that more and more retailers will come to understand the importance of creating a universal security system that covers various distribution channels.
That is why we are seeing an increase in the number of retailers that integrate security systems that are “scattered” before through various sales channels. By doing this, they can quickly detect suspicious actions and take action, and it does not matter where and how this happened. As a result, they can increase the security of the shopping process for their customers.
10. The social component of omnichannel sales will grow.
Social networks have long played an important role in shopping, this trend will continue in 2016 and in subsequent years. We expect an increase in the number of implementations of solutions for sales in social networks. For example, such as Soldsie (sales in the comments) and Like2Buy (sales through galleries that users create).
Sales system in the comments
Topshelf Style clothing retailer demonstrates a great working example of sales through social networks. TopShelf uses Soldsie, a platform that allows you to sell products through Instagram comments. When a company places products on Instagram, a customer needs to write a “sold” comment and enter an email address to make a purchase. After that, Soldsie writes a check and sends it to the buyer, who, as a result, can complete the purchase.
At the moment, Instagram is leading in terms of the commercial use of social networks, however, this does not mean that other social services will not develop this direction. So, in 2015, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest launched their own shopping services, and although they have not yet become widely spread, it can be expected that social networks will continue to invest in commerce systems.
In addition, we expect users to continue using social networks to search for products and to discuss them. As a result, retailers should continue to invest in sales through social services.
11. Now more goods do not mean better.
Today, many retailers come to understand that having as many products as possible in a store does not necessarily help them win a customer. The modern buyer is overloaded with a wealth of choice, so sometimes expanding the range can do more harm than good.
This may well be one of the reasons because of which we see an increase in subscription sales services that carefully select products that are offered to customers. Such services make it easier for buyers to search and select processes, saving them time and not letting them get tired, selecting what they need among a huge amount of goods.
If you look to the future, we expect that many retailers will follow a similar path. Sellers will understand that they need to carefully select products, instead of mindlessly filling the shelves of stores. And they will win the buyer not because they offer him a huge selection, but because they offer the best products in their class and the assortment relevant to the target market. And also - they can deliver the product to the buyer, using the appropriate sales channels for each particular buyer.
12. More and more retailers will turn to IoT technologies in order to improve the customer experience of the shopping process.
Mobile devices are just the beginning. In addition to using mPOS systems and tablet computers in sales areas, some retailers (particularly large ones) are very likely to look for ways to use Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in their stores.
According to McKinsey's research , it turned out that using IoT in retail stores can have an economic impact of between 410 billion and 1.2 trillion dollars a year in 2025. The forecast is, of course, long-term, however, this does not mean that progressive retailers today will not start moving towards the Internet of Things.
This year, the first retailers are expected to start using devices connected to the Internet in order to streamline the process of shopping in stores and establish a new process of interaction with customers. According to McKinsey, examples of using IoT include devices for automatically calculating a customer, for tracking consumer behavior in real time, and for sending personalized offers to customers.
Personalizing offers to customers is the main goal of implementing or upgrading loyalty systems. The first step is always the same - in order to analyze large data on consumer behavior, you must first accumulate it. To accumulate them, you need to identify the buyer. The mechanisms for this may be different - from classic plastic cards to using NFC smartphones, but the goal will be the same. After the potential of own data has been mastered - and it is colossal - it will be time to collect “external” information about customers (the most important part of this information, however, is already available from questionnaires) - and at this point, integrators will probably come to the fore data, providing for the collection and exchange of information on different facets of consumer behavior of buyers.
Results: omnicanality will be integrated into all aspects of retail
The main focus of retailers in 2016 will be riveted on omnichanalnosti. It doesn't matter what industry you work in, no matter how complex your business processes are, but the convergence of e-commerce and convenience stores is important for every aspect of the retail business. Retail trade is moving towards the formation of a single universal channel of interaction with the customer, which includes all the channels that were previously more or less independent.
Dmitry summarized the discussion:
Obviously, people will continue to buy what they need, try not to overpay, and use the most convenient way for this. Apparently, omnicanality will continue to develop, automated trading (“smart automated automated retail”) and automatic issuance of orders (“pochtomats”) are also waiting for active development. The process of selecting and ordering goods is likely to continue to “stretch” between the offline shelf, online on the desktop, mobile application, etc., including such still exotic methods as the selection of goods among the images on the “wall” (static or dynamic). Also, I still believe that for durable goods at some point it will be effective to build independent “showrooms”, where the buyer can “touch” the product, get expert advice and place an order - from one of the many independent sellers. , , «» 3D-, , , , , , : , , ( ) .
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Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/298792/
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