Future Of Retail Debate
predict the future there are some key influences that will affect the course the retail industry will take over the next few years. This year will still be very much defined by the austerity era and the high street will continue to evolve, with smaller but better stores becoming the norm.
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Retailers who have adopted technology will continue to use it as a means of engaging consumers in a more targeted way, rather than a feature within the store.
As online retailing continues to grow we will see a boom in Click & Collect services to make taking delivery of products more convenient. Further Click & Collect lockers will be appearing in convenience stores and shopping centres with brands and retailers looking to collaborate as a way of enhancing their Click & Collect offering.
Tim Ellis, New Business Manager, Momentum Instore
involves adapting to shopper needs, quickly and effectively. We’ll see fewer, but better bricks and mortar stores where shoppers get immediate gratification and a purchase process smoothed by smart use of technology. There will also be
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Retail is a fast‐paced sector so it’s difficult to predict trends too far ahead. However what we do know is that no‐one can afford to rest on their laurels and not maximise every sales channel available to them. It has to be done well though to satisfy customers or it’s potentially more damaging than not partaking at all (think Tablet and mobile experiences especially).
Retailers who value, listen and reward their customers will continue to gain loyalty and trust and this will shape the future of retailing. Not everyone will get it right, so we expect more fallout to come, but those who fully understand their customers will do well.
Mansoor Malik, UK MD, ForeSee
an emphasis on great service from knowledgeable advisors which will build real trust.
The online channel will become far more intuitive, enabling shoppers to easily search huge ranges by filtering the choice to suit their individual needs, make easy comparisons and also to view their options 24/7– via properly mobile and tablet enabled websites.
Really smart retailers won’t be afraid of convergence, they will use it to tap into both the emotional and functional needs of shoppers, so that they deliver more often and more effectively than competitors.
Danielle Pinnington, Managing Director, Shoppercentric
The future of retail While nobody can
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The retailers that are profiting most from the continual rise in eCommerce are those that successfully combine the best of the physical and online worlds by bringing them closer together. This will continue to be a trend as consumers increasingly access the internet on the move using multiple channels. Brands that integrate their on and off line multi‐channel strategies and extend access to their websites in‐store with kiosk access and free wifi, and importantly staff these sites with real sales assistants, will outperform the market by a very significant degree. Brands will however need to provide consumers with the same level of service online to that offered in the physical store. That service will be delivered by instantly available, knowledgeable and customer friendly staff, providing real‐time help when required. Today we can receive help with purchasing decisions as if we were stood next to a sales assistant in a store. In only a few years we will be able to virtually touch and feel products ‐ as if they were in our hands.
Tony Heyworth, International Marketing Director, LivePerson
www.a1retailmagazine.com
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