Here’s a fact: Not all retailers Zenput works with are equipped to offer the online shopping experience... yet—but they also don’t have to right now.
Plenty of retailers we work with have core businesses that rely on foot traffic and/or drive-thru operations. Your customers may be just “catching up” to the technology of ordering groceries or food delivery online or through an app. But in the convenience industry, especially, as long as people have to physically stop to fill up a tank, there will be an opportunity for in-store traffic.
So how common is omnichannel retail? It appears to be fundamentally changing the way customers approach major retail channels, and it’s starting to change retailers’ approach to how they serve customers.
Of course, we also know that in December, Amazon opened a store for employees in its hometown of Seattle that has no checkout line. Just scan in with the new Amazon Go app and the store’s computer vision and technologies tracks the items you’ve purchased. It’s pretty cool, but also a little creepy at the same time!
As referenced in this CNN Money report, the political climate may not be ready for that level of automation in the workforce. Still, the point must not be lost: brick-and-mortar retailers are incorporating more aspects of the streamlined, fast, and convenient digital experience. Retailers of consumer products must start turning their attention to digital outreach and learn how to accommodate customers who shop in a world of instant gratification.
How Retailers Can Adapt in the Short-Term
We tend to focus so much on what a giant like Amazon is doing, but just as important is the why. Why is Amazon looking at brick-and-mortar grocery stores and bookstores? Because the stores, which are experimental right now, partly serve as an advertisement for Amazon’s digital products! In this way, Amazon embodies the omnichannel approach of integrating a digital and physical shopping experience. It’s lofty “stuff” of the future, but not entirely relevant to Zenput’s customers who are just looking for ways to be more efficient and live in “the now.” So while it’s crucial that retailers recognize the opportunities presented by digital integration, it’s equally as important that they recognize their strengths outside of the digital world. Here are 3 ways retailers can begin to adapt to the omnichannel mindset without losing sight of who they are and how they can best serve their core customers:- Personalize – Automation streamlines and makes things similar. It can also potentially remove the fun, memorable parts of shopping. I wouldn’t be able to tell you if I enjoyed scanning my grocery items at Store A over Store B. But if Store B recognized my loyalty and gave me something for it, I’m more apt to return. This is a reason why loyalty and other rewards programs are becoming increasingly important, and why well-trained staff and customer service will continue to be paramount.
- Curate — Very much tied to personalization, curating is more than simply knowing what customers want; it’s about quality. Don’t be just good at where you excel—be GREAT! For example, you can make certain products or foodservice items your specialty. The preparation, selection and placement of products will be crucial, as customers return for consistency and an easily navigable environment. Convenience stores already have an advantage in offering a smaller footprint store, so they should take advantage by carefully considering product placement.
- Start thinking mobile – From social engagement to rewards programs, your customers are on their phones—and you need to be there, too! Aside from your customers, who else is on their phones constantly (at least when they have a break)? Your employees—and probably you, too! The culture towards mobile technology is slowly changing from a nuisance you lock in a break room or an office drawer to a practical tool that can be utilized appropriately during the workday.
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