As retailers explore adding life to their brands through mobile experiences, will stores become overly tech-ridden and lose their human touch?
Nearly two-thirds (71%) of shoppers now access their phone while in stores to read product reviews, compare prices, navigate aisles, check out, pay or look for gift inspiration ahead of the holidays. That number is up 15% from 2017, and increasingly, retailers are answering consumers’ rapidly changing expectations through the mini computers in nearly everyone’s pocket.
Over the past few years, retailers have used mobile to add life to their brand while reimagining their store spaces to match customer desires for “brick-and-mobile” experiences, Shannon Andrick, VP of marketing advancement at Alliance Data’s card services business, told Mobile Marketer in an interview.
“As the retail landscape evolves and customers expect more than ever, brands are looking for ways to stand out in a more connected, on-demand, personalized world — all while making their store experience work as hard for them as possible,” Andrick said.
However, store experiences that are overly tech-ridden and often eliminate the need for human interaction could lose their luster once the novelty wears off, according to Deb Gabor, CEO of brand strategy consultancy Sol Marketing. The trick for retailers will be in finding the right balance of value-added mobile experiences and personal service.
‘Brick-and-Mobile’ Revolution
Even major global brands are getting into the “brick-and-mobile” game. Nike cut the ribbon on two tech-infused locations this year, where shoppers tap their phone to trigger a variety of in-store experiences. The new flagship on Fifth Avenue in New York, Nike House of Innovation 000, lets guests use their smartphone to reserve shoe sizes. While shoppers finish browsing, their selected styles are placed in a designated locker that they unlock — you guessed it — with their phone. Items can then be scanned to check out and are instantly paid for through the details on customers’ Nike Plus account, removing the traditional step of finding a cashier and waiting in line.
