Store design: It just keeps getting smarter… and sexier

Aug. 14, 2015 | by Ethan Whitehill    

 

Even with e-commerce skyrocketing, many shoppers still choose to make purchases in the store rather than online. PwC’s annual consumer survey notes that nearly 40 percent of consumers buy in a store at least once a week versus only 27 percent who buy online. And design plays a huge role in that decision. Not just because it lures people through the door, but also because it inspires them to pull out their wallets.

 

So how can you create a truly standout look in your stores? There’s no question that today’s shoppers want to be wowed. Tech-savvy and design-smart, they’re looking for interactive and visually appealing experiences that jolt them out of the day-to-day. Retailers are upping their game in response, delivering hi-tech touchscreens, augmented-reality displays and spaces designed to calm busy customers. Hands down, some of the smartest and most inventive designs we’ve ever seen.

 

Below, we’ll take you through some of the top trends, give you a peek inside our faves and suggest how you can put them to work for you.

 

THE CALMING EFFECT
Serene spaces relax customers and let products pop

 

Today’s shoppers are pooped. Minimalistic design schemes offer a much-needed respite from their busy lives while allowing products to take center stage. Neutral colors and natural textures turn spaces into soothing havens where shoppers can leisurely browse — and hopefully buy. Borrowing tips from top beauty and wellness brands, retailers can create minimal spaces that still feel friendly and inviting. Skin-care company Kiehl’s mixes industrial elements (cement and brick) with premium accents (marble) to create warm, organized spaces that reflect various aspects of the brand’s personality; while luxury skin-care line Aesop uses sustainably sourced wood in stores to echo its product packaging and plant-based ingredients.
 

GO DIGITAL OR GO HOME

Technology connects retailers with consumers in a powerful way

 

As the lines between online and offline continue to blur, it’s critical for forward-thinking brands to develop and implement digital strategies in their brick-and-mortar locations. Brands like Home Depot, Burberry and Harrods have transformed their spaces with inventive offerings, including: customer tablets for easy product browsing, interactive window displays, video-based ads and mobile apps that enable shoppers to complete purchases on their own.

 

Before funneling dollars into digital design, it’s important to assess how it will elevate the shopper experience or eliminate inconveniences. For instance, how quickly will you make your money back and will it save cash in the long run? Does it reinforce brand messaging or improve the customer experience? All good things to ask!
 

THE STORE AS STARSHIP

Store design goes back to the future

 

Many high-end fashion retailers like Louis Vuitton and Shine are opting for a futuristic look with streamlined fixtures for clothing rails, curved display cabinets and shocking stretches of white space. Shoemaker Stuart Weitzman is at the helm of the movement. Working with world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid, Weitzman created the company’s international flagship in Milan and five other stores in major cities around the world. Much like the company’s shoes, Hadid’s spaceship-like designs are fluid and playful, adorned with reflective surfaces that stand out against monotonous floors and walls.

 

5 store designs blowing our minds

Retailers to Watch and Why

1. Ministry of Supply: The hi-tech menswear line recently set up shop in San Francisco with a few interactive touches. Thanks to a partnership with Mission Bikes, shoppers can pedal away on a bike while wearing the performance-inspired classics to test their durability.
2. Google: The tech giant designed its first-ever physical location to encourage consumers to learn and play before buying. With perks like Portal (which lets shoppers “fly” around the world) and Doodle Wall (where people can spray-paint their own version of the Google logo), this shop-in-a-shop is already turning store design on its head.
3. Starbucks: To combat the franchise blahs, the coffee chain recently decentralized its design efforts in an attempt to increase local relevance. Now, 18 in-house design studios around the world are giving Starbucks stores unique looks inspired by culture and community.
4. Harrods: This year, the British department store celebrated Easter with an augmented-reality window display that took shoppers into the fantasy world of Fabergé. Customers combined vivid patterns and colors to “paint” the giant egg with their own artistic vision.
5. Minerva Canna Group: Not only has this Albuquerque-based marijuana dispensary sharpened its own business image and space, its design has cast new light on the entire cannabis industry. Gone are the dark, dingy, hippie-havens of the past; replaced with sleek, friendly spaces that appeal to the modern cannabis customer.

 

To view the original article please visit: Retail Customer Experience

The Holographic Window Display That Never Sleeps

Ido Lechner                

6 august 2015

 

Holographic displays have evolved since their Tupac debut; as Paul Smiths shows, now retailers are using them too.

                   

A window display concept developed by Carl Bresnahan aims to engage and attract potential customers through some technological trickery. The interactive holographic display, titled The Window that Never Sleeps, can be operated even after hours when the store—in this case, a conceptual Paul Smith facade—is closed, embedding a standout image in the minds of shoppers and prompting them to return when the store reopens.

A recently released promotional video by Bresnahan demonstrates the capabilities of the leveraged holographic display of the storefront to attract customers by presenting multiple different colored animated yet uninhabited suits performing human-like actions such as playing with a yo-yo or ‘making it rain.’

An interactive holographic shop window display concept for Paul Smith on Floral Street, Covent Garden, London, Bresnahan’s concept aims to engage and attract potential customers in one of the busiest places in London out of hours. This concept was a degree project and only mocked up in the Floral St window, therefore, it is not currently on display.

The three suits—one a blueish purple, one red and one near-burgundy—are just three of the many available offerings within the store, and watching them move offers a nearly 360 degree visualization of the suits themselves and their fitting.

 

 

 

Far ahead of its time, Bresnahan’s holographic window display is sure to catch the attention of any and all passerby, with a layer of interactivity eliciting an enchanted response that sets the store apart from any others nearby.

Since there’s a significant lack of information available on the Internet regarding the display, why not pay a visit to London and watch a person-less suit throw holographic bills in the air?

For more information regarding holographic window displays please email: Carlbresnahan@gmail.com. The Window that Never Sleeps

To view the original article please visit: PSFK

 

 Want more articles like this one. Check out these:

Top Tips for Updating Your Store on a Budget

10 Retail Experts Share Their #1 Tip for Marketing and Growing Your Store

Retail Pro and CounterPoint in an Omni-channel World Webinar 8.12.15

 

Retail Pro and CounterPoint in an Omni-channel world Join us for a webinar on Aug 12, 2015 at 10:00 AM PDT. Register now! https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3797774003695184641 You’ve already made one great decision in choosing One Step Retail to be your trusted partner to implement a first class Retail Management System. Retail Dimensions, Inc. and Web Studios West will present how that great foundation can be leveraged to bring not only e-commerce into your company but enable Multi and Omni-channel features to give you more opportunities to create and retain loyal customers driving more sales. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. View System Requirements

Last Chance to Register for Go Beyond the Sale Webinar 7.23.15

 

Turn your Paper Receipts into Social Shares

Customers who use digital receipts spend up to 40 percent more than those who only want paper receipts. Join One Step Retail and flexReceipts, Retail Pro’s exclusive partner of enriched digital receipts for a primer on electronic receipts. Learn how this post-transaction marketing opportunity is far more than a mere paper replacement.

Register today: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5807517431395293441

The Right Inventory In the Right Place

 

Ideal Retail Experience Expo Thursday, June 4th in Seal Beach, CA

The Wired Family: Screen Time and Tech Etiquette Strategies

 

Lisa & Piero's English Inspired Los Feliz Home

 

 

When I was a little kid, the only gadget was an Inspector and screen time wasn't really an issue because Pee-Wee's Playhouse was only on once a week. Now that we've got a slew of devices, we're figuring out our relationship to them as a family. Here are a few of our ever-evolving tactics and guiding principles:

Screen Time Negotiation: We're lucky in that the while the 8-year-old loves playing Hungry Shark, he doesn't ask for much screen time, so it's rarely an issue. Usually we address it in family terms, like "We're all exhausted from that hike, how about 15 minutes of screen time and then we'll go pick apples?", and all collapse happily together with our gadgets. The kid is often granted screen time when the adults need to work on something he can't help with, or when we've had intense painting-biking-building-cooking-canoeing-gardening days and he could use a little downtime. Movie-watching is family time and we all vote on what to watch, and a cozy Saturday morning episode of Phineas & Ferb while breakfast bakes is generally suggested by a certain 35-year-old. I'm most interested to hear how much screen time your kids get, what they're allowed to use it for, whether chores, etc. have to be completed first, and so on!

Screen Time Renegotiation: Sometimes at the end of X amount of minutes you're this close to evolving your shark, in which case it's totally appropriate to politely ask, "Can I have 2 more minutes?" or "Can I finish this level?" Once new terms are agreed upon, however, they must be adhered to.

No Devices At Meals: This one's easy. Sometimes, if it's just the adults, one of us might say, "How about a reading dinner?" and then we enjoy quality reading separately together time. Otherwise, it's quality family time, all the way. Exceptions apply for emergencies, like if someone needs to show everyone what a pangolin looks like.

Interrupt Respectfully: Just as if someone was reading a book, we do our best to interrupt each other's online reading gently: a nice, "Hey, daddy?..." and a pause for a response before launching into a complicated tale goes a long way. But also, real life always trumps digital life.

Eye Contact: In the words of the ever-wise Ron Swanson, "When you do get your phone back, you will not stare at it when talking with another human being. Look a man in the eye when you speak with him." Call me stubborn but once I've respectfully gotten someone's attention and gotten a response (see above), I (respectfully) refuse to continue speaking until they've pulled their eyes away from their device. Same applies if they look at their device after I've started speaking. I WILL WAIT. Exceptions apply, of course, for example if someone is scrolling through photos to find the one that they're talking about— and has explained that's what they're doing.

Ask Permission to Use Someone's Device: We've discussed this one a lot lately, especially in regards to the fact that it's not simply a "don't touch my stuff" issue. We've explained that it's important to respect each other's privacy, and that phones and computers are often full of private personal and professional texts/emails, surprise party plans, and present-purchases. Since the adults in the household use their devices for work, we've also explained how important it is that they're treated gently and that they're full of crucial information. It's my job to save my work frequently and bookmark hard-found tabs I have open, but if someone uses my laptop I need to know first so I can protect and save anything important.

Treat Each Other's Devices Gently: Things break—especially fragile, expensive things made of thin glass and delicate circuits. If someone broke my phone during normal use I would be sad but understanding, but if someone broke my phone, Calvin-style— "Well, I was tossing them at myself at the time, as I ran down the sidewalk"— I would be super upset. We do our best to handle each other's gadgets gently and conscientiously, away from puddles and melted chocolate.

Sit Up Straight!: This one isn't really a rule, but every once in a while I exclaim "Sit up straight!" at the 8-year-old (or to myself, silently) when he's slowly curled over his device. Early childhood scoliosis, 15 years of ballet lessons, and a grandma with crippling osteoporosis have made me hyper-aware of the importance of good posture, and the pain of bad posture.

Safe Search ON: Again, this isn't so much a rule as my own policy. I have Safe Search activated on my laptop and phone, and it just makes life easier. If the 8-year-old needs to research baby beavers, I want him to be able to do so without having to leap in front of the screen screaming, "NOOOOoooooooo".

How much screen time do your kids get each day, and what are they allowed to use it for? What aspects of tech-etiquette work well for your household, and which are a constant struggle?


To view the original article please visit: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/the-wired-family-screen-time-and-tech-etiquette-strategies-217231

Downright Personal

Fiona Soltes

February 02, 2015

The results of personalization are undisputed — but what’s necessary to make it work?

First impressions can provide valuable information. But anyone who’s ever been in a relationship understands that really knowing someone takes time, experience — and often, a few steps forward and a few steps back to get it right.

This year, virtually every list of leading trends touts the importance of personalization. Truly knowing your customers, anticipating their needs, strengthening your brand: It would be easy to fall head-over-heels with vendor promises. Some are in-store efforts boosted by recent technology; others are aimed at e-commerce and mobile, providing just the right experience to just the right customer at just the right moment.

After beginning personalization efforts, New York-based Sabon saw a 35 percent increase in sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2014. The luxury bath and beauty products retailer credits the results to a new relationship with Dynamic Yield, a provider of real-time, automated personalization and content optimization solutions.

Inna Uretsky, Sabon’s e-commerce and marketing coordinator, believes personalization is “crucial” in today’s retail marketplace. But it’s also essential, she says, that it works in real time.

Dynamic Yield created a layer on top of Sabon’s website content management system; pages can now be broken into distinct units that Sabon can directly update with various offers, including video and promotional content.

Because numerous variations can be used simultaneously, Sabon is able to try different messages based on automated algorithms. During the Black Friday weekend, optimizations were continuously generated, leading to increased conversions and sales.

“We were a little surprised,” admits Uretsky. “We were very happy with the results. With Dynamic Yield, we could make decisions in real time, and switch up copy and images right away.” Promotions remained relatively constant during that time period, but were presented in a half dozen different ways to individual customers.

 

Quick changes — especially those based on algorithms and not just “hunches” — can bring quick results.

 

Opting in
Liad Agmon, Dynamic Yield CEO, says the company’s personalization solution works not only because it puts control in the hands of the retailer rather than the retailer’s developers, but also because customers as a whole are becoming increasingly impatient. Quick changes — especially those based on algorithms and not just “hunches” — can bring quick results.

The expectations are not just related to online. Ideally, what happens in the world of e-commerce impacts the store experience in a positive way. But some personalization solutions specifically target bricks-and-mortar.

Consider beacon technology, where an in-store device emits a radio frequency that can be recognized by an app on a customer’s mobile device. When that customer is close enough to the beacon, she can receive targeted messages and promotions.

Not long ago, there was concern that some shoppers would consider beacons an infringement of their privacy.

But “Since this technology does require an app, and the users have to download that app, and they have to opt in and have their Bluetooth turned on … the only shoppers who are getting these messages are the ones who raised their hands and said, ‘Yes, I’m open to this,’” says Rebecca Schuette, director of marketing for indoor mobile marketing company Swirl.

“Because of that, shoppers have been very happy to receive the content. We counsel our retailers to only share information that would be relevant and valuable to customers on their shopping journey.”

Many retailers are aware that beacons are hot technology and want to quickly get on board, Schuette says. But in some cases, they haven’t fully considered best-use case scenarios.

“The real magic happens when someone has thought it through, and asked, ‘What problem am I trying to solve?’” she says. “Am I trying to enhance the indoor shopping experience? Then maybe I place it in a certain department and offer up relevant content.

“If my intent is to increase conversion in the store, maybe I offer up messaging about a discount or deal that’s happening, which could then be redeemed at the cash register.”

In late 2014, Swirl released the results of a study of in-store campaign performance data and surveys of shoppers that had received recent beacon-triggered messages. The study showed that 60 percent of shoppers had opened and engaged with beacon-triggered content and 30 percent had redeemed beacon-triggered offers at the point of purchase.

In addition, 60 percent said they would buy more as a result of receiving beacon-triggered marketing messages; 61 percent said they’d visit a store with beacon marketing campaigns more often; and 73 percent said the content and offers increased their likelihood to purchase during the store visit.

Even so, Schuette says, beacon marketing is “still in its infancy.” The future beacon-enabled shopping experience will be able to couple a shopper’s location with the interaction he has had with the brand leading up to that point, including in-store experiences, mobile and e-commerce.

“When you can gather all of that together, then you can really drive personalized communication,” Schuette says.

 

Retailers should focus on gaining a clear and transparent view of inventory that’s as near real time as possible.

Visibility and technology
Future applications aside, some retailers are still challenged by what’s already available. Schuette’s advice? “Don’t wait. Consumers are ready for it. They’ve shown us that. But start small. And then be ready to scale quickly.”

Others take a more cautious view.

Kevin Sterneckert, chief marketing officer for OrderDynamics, is a former Gartner research vice president and lead retail analyst, past senior director of global product strategy at Oracle Retail and vice president of retail for DemandTec, and has held numerous retail management positions.

His perspective is that personalization can be “an incredibly expensive investment.” Retailers who jump on the bandwagon without having the correct infrastructure in place will only end up “advertising to their customers how messed up they are.”

If a customer is targeted with a specific product, loves it, wants to buy it and then discovers that there is no inventory or that it’s the wrong size or color, trust in the retailer quickly fades.

“Just like retail has always been, it’s all about the details,” he says. Rather than highlight the rising trend of personalization, he’s keeping a different list. First and foremost, Sterneckert says, retailers should focus on gaining a clear and transparent view of inventory that’s as near real-time as possible, have a true understanding of the return process and how it is impacting the business, reconcile their pricing strategies, and better grasp what their true costs are.

OrderDynamics works with retailers to create “seamless commerce.”

“We help retailers understand what to do given the conditions that exist,” Sterneckert says. “Instead of saying, ‘Here’s what’s happened,’ which most analytics companies can tell you, or ‘Here’s what might happen,’ something more predictive, we offer prescriptive analytics … . ‘Given what has happened, here’s what you need to do.’”

What retailers need to do, he believes, is get their houses in order.

Meanwhile, Oliver Jaeger, vice president of global marketing and communications for e-Spirit, isn’t advising retailers to wait when it comes to personalization. But he is suggesting they choose carefully.

“In order for retailers to delivery personalized content you have to have the right technology,” says Jaeger, whose company offers FirstSpirit, a web content management system that integrates with leading e-commerce systems as well as customer relationship management, search engine optimization tools and the like.

The biggest challenge in the area of personalization, he believes, is the ability to turn customer touchpoints into customer trust points.

“Make sure you are not stalking your customers,” he says. “Personalization is great if your customers accept it, and they will only accept it if they see value in it. If they feel you are invading their privacy with unwanted offers, you will turn them off to your products or services. Make sure you are providing them with valuable information at each touchpoint they have with you along their customer journey.”

 

Achieving authenticity
As we all know, trust is a necessary component of any relationship — be it customer and retailer or retailer and solution provider. So is planning for the future.

Robin Copland, vice president of retail for the Americas for software development pioneer ThoughtWorks, believes personalization efforts will only take a retailer so far; his company already is looking beyond it toward authenticity.

Efforts at personalization can still feel too broad; even beacons, he says, “are still mass market, to a certain extent.” With one client, the approach was to take what it already was known for — legendary customer service — and extend that experience online to create consistency and authenticity. Luxury apparel company Mitchells worked with ThoughtWorks to create a website that offers the ability to work directly with its style advisors just as if you were in a store.

Within the first two months, there were more than 1,000 back-and-forth communications with customers, creating a different kind of personalized service. Those communications move beyond product recommendations to help establish loyalty and brand ambassadors.

For anyone who’s been paying attention, however, the signs of current and future definitions of personalization have been there all along.

In 2007, PricewaterhouseCoopers and TNS Retail Forward envisioned the retail landscape of 2015. They forecast changing demographics, strategic outsourcing, targeted collaboration, retail outlets, a rising importance of technology and the critical need to keep customer purchase data safe and secure.

But “Retailing 2015: New Frontiers” also imagined a “new consumer,” one who would “not be easy for retailers to understand or master.”

“The value proposition guiding their product purchases is changing; consumers will put heightened emphasis on personalization, look for opportunities where their input matters, and value product and service solutions,” the report states. “Consumers are increasingly proactive in their purchase decisions and selective about with whom they want to do business.”

And, apparently, how they want to do it.

To view the original article please visit: https://nrf.com/news/downright-personal

Brick-and-mortar meets mobile: How the retail world is changing, and what it means for shoppers

According to a recent study by consulting firm A.T. Kearney, 90 percent of all retail sales still occur in-store. But retailers need to up their game if they want to stay relevant. (AP Photo/Sun Herald, John Fitzhugh)

Print

By Anna Marum | The Oregonian/OregonLive The Oregonian
Email the author | Follow on Twitter                   

         

                                                                        

NEW YORK -- Though e-commerce sales are on the rise, they only made up 6.6 percent of total retail sales in last year's third quarter, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
And according to a recent survey of 2,500 shoppers by consulting firm A.T. Kearney, 90 percent of all sales still occur in physical stores.

The analysis went on to highlight the importance of brick-and-mortar stores in the future. At the National Retail Federation's annual conference here this week, speakers also touted the relevancy of physical stores and gave retailers advice on leveraging their stores in a world where shoppers make purchases on their phones, tablets and computers in addition to stores.
If retailers follow that advice, here are a few things shoppers can expect to see in coming years:

Seamless ordering

Say you visit your favorite store looking for a new pair of jeans, but they don't have your size. So the salesperson orders you the correct size. The company automatically calculates the fastest way to deliver the jeans, and they show up on your doorstep two days later, shipped from a nearby store (rather than a distribution center). Though some retailers already operate this way, it will become
more commonplace.

Better customer service

As consumers have more ways to shop, many retailers are using their brick-and-mortar stores to offer shoppers an experience, rather than just focusing on sales. This means a bigger emphasis on customer service to ensure that customers' experiences are always good ones.

 

Responsive innovations
Retailers do well to listen to their customers. A company that notices shoppers tweaking or changing their products can capitalize on that. For instance, when Levi's noticed its customers customizing their jeans, they started offering their own customization service: Levi's Lot No. 1.

Better in-store searchability

One of the downfalls of in-store shopping is that it can be really hard to find what you're looking for. So retailers are starting to realize they need to bring the search tools of online shopping to stores. This means customers would be able to find items on their list more easily, perhaps with an app that tells them which aisle each item is on or provides them with a personalized shopping route through the store. And while the technology to bring online-like searchability to stores already exists, few retailers offer it now.

 

The bottom line
At the NRF conference, James Wright, a senior partner at consulting firm Lippincott, left retailers with this: "If you decide you're not going to invest (in new technologies), you're going to have a very bad time."
-- Anna Marum
amarum@oregonian.com
503-294-5911
@annamarum

View the original article here: http://www.oregonlive.com/window-shop/index.ssf/2015/01/brick-and-mortar_meets_mobile.html

One Step at CES 2015

The Consumer Electronic Show or CES wrapped up last week in Las Vegas and One Step Retail Solutions had a front row seat exploring and testing some of the newest inventions! Below are some of our favorites that we came across:

SleepPhones®

“Pajamas for Your Ears” That’s what their slogan is and that’s very much how they function. While at CES, we got to see how comfortable and soothing these were as opposed to trying to fall asleep with buds in your ears. If you’re a fan of falling asleep to music or calming sounds, this product is definitely worth checking out!

 

 

If you enjoy their SleepPhones® make sure to check out their RunningPhones® for when you’re getting your sweat on!

SleepPhones® retails at $39.95

Check it out here!



Satechi Portable Humidifier

As a company, Satechi is consistently creating products that allows their consumers to live efficient and enjoyable lives. Their latest product, the Portable Humidifier, continues their mission by being applicable anywhere by use of just a USB.  

 

Satechi Portable Humidifier retails at $29.99

Check it out here!

Naztech Power Hub Pro

Naztech has anything and everything that you can dream of for your phone. In this case, the Power Hub allows you to charge up to seven devices at once. This is something always great to keep in the backroom or at your house to keep all the outlets open!

 

Sadly the 7x version of Power Hub Pro is not up on their website yet, but check out this version with 5 ports. Naztech Power Hub Pro 5x retails at $79.99

Lazy Hands

Lazy Hands is exactly what it sounds like- people do not want to hold things. All great innovations come from a need to make our lives easier and that is where Lazy Hands come in. It’s very much like the Velcro Ball and Catch Game from the 90s, but now it’s for your electronics! On the run at work all the time? This product might be for you!



 

Lazy Hands for your IPad retails at $15.99 and for your phone retails at $10.99.

Check it out here!

AIR² Levitating Bluetooth Speaker

 This new speaker will levitate and spin as your music plays- how amazing is that?! Like most gadgets at CES, this is not a necessity, but it’s a great talking piece if electronic devices are your thing.

 

Coby Levitating Bluetooth Speaker retails at $150.

 

 

 



Marketing to Millennials

By Hannah West

If your store has been around for a few years, you probably have some loyal customers you know by name. Many of these customers are part of the Baby Boomer generation and respond well to more traditional marketing and advertising.

But there is a new generation in town. When young adults born after the early 1980s reach 18, they are grouped into a category called "Millennials" or "Generation Y." Ten years ago they may have been running around your store asking their parents to purchase items FOR them, but now they have their own disposable income.

Here are some things to keep in mind when trying to get more Millennials in your doors:

1. They grew up with technology

When it comes to technology, it is like second nature to Millennials. They grew up with cell phones, computers in school and some may have even read their college textbooks on a screen rather than a page. They have plenty of ways to access information from anywhere. Millennials are not only accessing information from computers, but laptops, tablets and phones! Some fast solutions to their even faster lifestyles:

• Mention in your emails that discounts will be included if you show the email at the cash register on a cell phone.
• Share your sales, news and promotions on social media sites as well as email and traditional media. Luckily, SnapRetail makes this easy for our subscribers with an option to automatically repurpose an email for social media.

• Run Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest-exclusive promotions or contests.

• Invest in offering a smartphone app.

2. They have different priorities than older generations

Since Millennials cover a wide span of ages, your customers can range anywhere from an 18-year-old girl looking for dorm accessories to a 27-year-old father looking for a gift for his young son. Every customer is different, but Forbes.com had this to say about the spending priorities of young adult consumers: "Whereas older adults prioritized family-focused expenditures… today's Millennials spend their money on themselves, primarily on technology and travel."

 

There IS good news when it comes to Millennial shopping habits. According to a study done by Edelman Digital, 40% of Millennials claimed to prefer buying local. Appeal to Millennials' preferences by:

• Emphasizing the "shop local" movement in your marketing messages. Take note of important events such as Independent Retailer Month (July) and Small Business Saturday (November).

   

• Focusing on what products can do for individual customers in your messaging. How will this benefit them and their busy lives?

3. They love "sharable" purchases

When a Millennial loves a product, everyone knows. And if they hate it, the same rule applies. Millennials love to share their product feedback on Facebook, Twitter, blogs and any other medium possible. As much as they love telling others what to buy, they also look to the web to make their own buying decisions. Another Edelman study revealed that 42% of Millennials check four or more sources when they are trying to decide whether to pay for a product or service. This may be due to the way Millennials connect to products and what purchasing these products says about them. According to casualliving.com, "Sharability of the experience and 'association' are twice as important to Millennials as to Boomers. Millennials don't only think about how they should share their thoughts on a product, they think of how associating themselves with the product will make them look. Give them something to talk about by:

• Claim online listings on sites such as Yelp, Foursquare and Facebook places and encourage customers to check in and review.
• Encourage customers to add photos of themselves using purchases or tweet at your store to let you know how much they love their purchase or experience.

Marketing to Millennials is crucial since they are largest age group of consumers in the world. In addition to the size of this market, they are highly educated and racially diverse. The qualities of this age group in conjunction with their increasing buying power makes them worth the adjustments in your marketing.

 

To view the original article visit: http://www.snapretail.com/posts/2014/marketing-to-millennials.aspx

How To Use Technology To Provide A Better Customer Experience

By Scott Kreisberg, One Step Retail Solutions

I’ve been in the retail industry for more than 20 years and I can tell you that today’s modern shopper is tech-savvy and constantly on the go. With the use of technology implemented in society, shoppers expect retailers to be just as up to date, if not more, when it comes to their retail experience. It’s imperative to rapidly and effectively service your customers and maximize their in-store experience so they turn into long-term customers. In order to combat the issue of living in today’s fast-paced society, it’s vital to utilize the technologies available to you, so you can stay relevant and provide a lasting impression with your customers.

Mobile POS
There’s no secret, exceptional customer service is still the key in creating a lasting and positive shopping experience for your customer. However, 50% of shoppers today price check online, and 32% expect a retailer to be able to order an item not in stock and have it shipped to their home. Mobile POS allows sales associates to provide an in-store experience the consumer can’t get online, giving the retailer a better chance to make that sale. By using a mobile POS, sales associates can effectively move through lines faster to create a quick and positive customer service experience. Sales can be rung up at the point of decision with a mobile POS and associates can up sell by suggesting accessories to buy with a purchase. Customers feel valued when an associate can locate an item not in stock and either have it sent to them directly or at a nearby store, offering the item they’re searching for. Long checkout lines are the quickest ways to lose a customer, so having a mobile POS allows an associate to hop in and make that sale. Reduced transaction time equals more sales and happier customers.

E-Receipts
E-Receipts are booming in the retail industry because it gives you an opportunity to strategically market your campaigns with customized emails to your customers, based on what they like. A customer email address provides you powerful information because it is a fast way to learn and connect with your customers. Sending an E-Receipt allows you to send targeted email offers and advertisements based on past purchases. With HTML you can embed videos, provide web site links and consumer analytics so you know what customers are responding to. Additionally, you can assign each line item on a receipt to social media tabs, so customers can instantly post and share with their friends what and where they just made a purchase. E-Receipts are a great opportunity to connect with customers; by sending them relevant information you can position the customer to continuously come back.

Customer service innovation is being highly driven through technology today. It is key to stay up to date on current technology trends, while continuing to provide excellent customer service, which is the foundation of your business. As a retailer, you can offer discounts and specials to tempt customers, but at the end of the day the in-store shopping experience trumps all of that. The modern, tech-savvy consumer is the one driving the paradigm shift, so position yourself to the future and keep your customers coming back.

Scott Kreisberg is the Founder and CEO of One Step Retail Solutions. After graduating from college with a double Bachelors of Science degree in Finance and Marketing, Kreisberg established One Step Data in June of 1985. He consulted businesses, selling them computer hardware and software that made it easier for them to run their businesses more efficiently. In 1987, after some investigation, Kreisberg soon recognized that the retail POS/Inventory Control market was a niche yet to be developed for the small to medium-sized retailers. He came to the realization that with his passion for retail and knowledge of computer technology he could help many retailers.

View the original article at: Retail TouchPoints