Page 35 - #189 March 2024

RLI RETAIL INSIGHT
Wishing for a Better Omni-Channel Experience?

In this month’s Retail Insight, Ian Johnston, Founder of Quinine Design discusses how
today’s consumer shops fluidly between online and offline retail channels on their browsing
and purchasing journey, typically interchanging between a physical store, PC and their
mobile device and how this can facilitate the connection between the customer’s online and
in-store experiences of brands.

he expectation today is that the transition between these channels Enable the creation of in-store product wishlists
Tis seamless. From the consumer’s perspective, there is no such As customers discover and select products and services throughout
thing as a ‘channel’ - just a brand, where all channels are interconnected their in-store journey, enable them to collect them onto a list using their
parts of a single retail experience. The challenge for brands, which often personal devices. This may be as simple as populating an online basket,
develop and manage channels independently of one another, is meeting so that customers can transact online, away from the store. It may also
this consumer expectation of a seamless, single brand experience, whether be about creating a ‘save-for-later’ category or a favourites list.
that be moving from an online to an offline experience or vice versa. Connect a customer’s physical store transactions to their
online history
Where are we now? Combine the customer’s in-store and online purchase history to create
Early ‘omni-channel’ efforts connected online channels and the physical a single, digital master list of their product and service preferences.
store through consistency of product offer, price-point and tone of voice. List-making beyond just products
More recently, the focus has broadened and we see technology combined Use the physical store to introduce initiatives beyond the product and
with the physical store to deliver increased convenience (such as viewing service offer. Enable in-store customers to ‘collect’ the things that interest
the latest in-store offers, checking stock levels or ordering via click and them most about your brand and its community. These could be collecting
collect). As consumer habits, preferences and pain points become more things like a brand’s values and the company mission to read about later,
evident, these services have expanded and become more refined. such as branded content, community initiatives or rewards campaigns.
Combine online and offline to facilitate better in-store Curate online marketing preferences
discovery and consultation Use the physical store to bring to life products and services so that
Whilst there are several approaches that retailers can adopt to customers can refine and personalise the marketing content the brand
facilitate better discovery and consultation experiences, one area that sends them.
remains underutilised and worthwhile exploring is how brands can Bringing ‘showroom retail’ to life
enable customers to gather and collect the things that interest them, If retail brands are to successfully encourage customers to digitally
without feeling the need to purchase. This is the ability to create ‘lists’. Far capture products and services that interest them in-store and also
from a new concept, the retail wedding gift registry was first introduced motivate them to continue their journey online, they must first inspire
by the New York department store, Marshall Field, in 1924. This has and engage customers through great retail design. For customers to be
continued into the present day with list services often associated with interested, the store must be interesting.
‘life event’ purchasing, such as new homes, weddings, birthdays and
births. However, for most retail brands, there are further opportunities There is a great appetite within retail today to deliver moments that
to leverage this concept, enabling them to connect online to in-store and connect deeply with the customer, moments that are meaningful and
in-store to online. memorable and moments that are ‘experiential’. Inevitably ‘list-making’
is not the first intervention that comes to mind when looking to innovate.
1. Online to In-Store: How can retailers leverage the Nonetheless, lists should not be ignored. In order to create an ‘omni-
physical store to convert online lists into better discovery and channel’ that consumers adopt, we need to use small stepping stones to
consultation moments? encourage new behaviours. Lists can provide retailers with a simple and
The habit of list-making is well established and goes beyond ‘life event’ recognisable bridge between the online and offline channels, before they
purchasing. Here we explore how a retailer may look to achieve this. introduce further, possibly more provocative omni-channel innovations
Help customers identify stores that best suit their needs to their audience. Incremental change is fundamental, as we must never
From their pre-defined online wish lists, purchase history and forget that innovation is only truly successful when the target audience is
preferences, brands could communicate to customers which local store ready and willing to adopt it.
best aligns with their needs.
Help customers locate items in-store
After compiling a wish list online, an app could be used to enable customers
to navigate physical stores and find the items they need with ease.
Introduce staff to the customer (and their preferences)
Using information from a customer’s online wish lists, browsing habits
and previous purchases, an app could alert and inform sales staff when
an existing customer makes an unscheduled visit to a store. The retailer
can then allocate the most appropriate sales staff to look after that
customer and offer a personalised consultation.
Curate personalised display areas
Use wish lists created online to create customised appointments.
Booked online, a dedicated private service area can be curated with
pre-selected products ahead of a store visit. This greatly improves the
potential for sales and is at the pinnacle of personalised store experiences.
2. In-Store to Online: How can retailers encourage
customers to translate in-store discovery into online
engagement and purchases?
Retailers should also explore how they can drive shoppers from the
physical store to their online channels. Here are some ways that retailers
could start doing this now:

34 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL MARCH 2024