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In 2014 online retail sales in the UK rose by 15.8 percent in 2014 (bringing a healthful #45 billion ). In 2015 this figure is expected to grow much further, increasing a burgeoning part of the financial recovery of the UK.
This rise in sales is not only as a result of international economic variables technology improvements in cellular marketing and in-store tech have transformed the local high-street and online storefronts.
2014 was the year when data-driven customer engagements began to show results that are tangible. Automatic data providers and Behavioural have allowed retailers to customise offers in real time when shoppers are internet, raising sales tremendously.
Looking ahead
In 2015 multichannel will continue to evolve together with the blurring between online and offline strategies and trends to look out for include interactive store windows, automated personalisation and creation that is back-office.
One region which hasn’t quite reached its entire potential is in-store use of wearables and power Bluetooth devices such as iBeacons. We have yet to find marketers truly benefit from its capacities in the united kingdom, while these innovations have demonstrated promise in what they can deliver in terms of targeted, location-based marketing services such as coupon promotions.
In 2015, retailers need to concentrate on leveraging platforms to get the maximum from societal selling, wearables and interactive store window experiences. In precisely the same time the consumer relationship should be jealously guarded by them from technology giants like Facebook, Google and Twitter.
In addition, one of the hottest trends will be in creation. It may not be everyone’s idea of ‘hot’, but an update of the back-office is a vital part of enhancing front-of-house interaction.
These are the key innovations that I think will impact the sector:
1. Mobile
The store window will be brought by Mobile into life: Next year cellular will play a much prominent part.
The ideal example: Burberry’s interactive mobile-enabled store window at Parisian department store Printemps which makes it possible for customers to link to Printemps’ Wi-Fi and interact with individual scenes from the store’s story board that tells the story of a little boy travelling with his teddy bear from Burberry’s Regent Street flagship store to Printemps in Paris.
That this is a tactic designed to deepen the connection between manufacturer and customer with enjoyable.
2. S-commerce
Social e-commerce will threaten the brand-consumer relationship: The increase of societal e-commerce (evidenced by Twitter’s current ‘Tweet to Buy’ announcement) will sabotage disintermediate the relationship between a company and its clients. Brands must approach selling with care through media channels or they might wind up turning to glorified ‘transaction fulfillers’.
3. Digital pockets
Wallets will begin to disappear: Companies like Starbucks, with and in different currencies, are starting to pave the way to get a digital wallet world.
Although the ‘death of the physical wallet’ is not imminent retailers will probably be experimenting with obligations.
4. Automated personalisation
The automation of personalised experiences will take off: Retailers everywhere will automate the process of utilizing customer shopping information to personalise their experience.
Until today shops predominantly based merchandise recommendations on the market or segment of a customer. Shortly shops of all sorts will start to personalise recommendations similar to in an iTunes or even Netflix recommendations list by minding a greater volume of real-time client information.
5. Systems investment
Focus will turn from front-end ‘glistening stuff’ to back-office ‘nuts and bolts’: Marketers have invested heavily in improving the customer-facing aspects of the presence, but many have ignored critical improvements required to deliver a seamless customer experience.
Retailers who wish to deliver fulfilment and unlimited aisles will be embracing the ‘nuts and bolts’ to update their back-offices, such as product data management, stock management and click-and-collect.
As the digital and physical worlds will probably continue to collide, retailers need to work more difficult to stay attached to their client. Technology will play a vital role.
Please visitIoT Tech Expo Europein London’s Olympia that December, 2-3 if you want to know more about wearables.
