ONE VIEWPOINT
Breaking down the process…
Tech for retailers
can be simple yet
effective
Nicki Ramsay
Fo u n d e r a n d C E O ,
C a rd U p
For a true 360-degree view of each
customer, retailers need to streamline
the entire customer journey into one
consistent experience.
T
here has been an explosion
in innovative tech within the
retail sector. From artificial
intelligence (AI), virtual reality
(VR), facial recognition, blockchain
to customer service chatbots — all
implemented by retailers who hope the
next big tech trends can help attract and
retain today’s famously fickle customers.
Whether it’s the C-suite at major
international brands or owners of
independent cottage-industries and
start-ups, there’s mounting pressure to
adapt to new technologies as well as
apply a data-driven approach to solving
real business challenges and in turn
driving rapid business growth.
But with the pressure on, retailers
don’t necessarily have to look to the
most complicated tech in order to get
a return on their investment. In fact,
typically the simpler it is, the better.
We’ve rounded up three of the top
challenges that retailers face, and look at
some simple tech solutions to help solve
them.
An omni-channel world
Retail is complicated these days.
Consumers expect their smartphones to
be a one-stop shop, putting enormous
pressure on retailers to deliver a seamless
omni-channel experience. The technical
challenge is immense and it’s often still a
work-in-progress for most retailers.
With all of that complexity, it’s
easy for retailers to lose sight of what’s
actually important — creating the best
customer experience both online and
offline, throughout the buying journey.
Until recently, retailers have relied
on basic approaches, such as using
unique vouchers and coupons or even
exit surveys to track the steps shoppers
take in the ever-increasing number
of omni-channel sales. But this is
starting to change as data giants such
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Retail Asia June/July 2018
as Facebook and Google have created
offline conversion tracking tools that
allow bricks-and-mortar stores to bridge
the gap easily.
The power of this is incredible,
especially when you consider that 90%
of retail sales still happen in-store, while
these customers begin their research
on products and business locations
through their mobile phones. Facebook’s
Store Visits answers this challenge by
helping businesses to achieve their
end-objective of driving customers into
a bricks-and-mortar store. Through
creating personalised ads with location-
based relevance, the tech reaches
out specifically to nearby shoppers,
attracting them into the store.
With all of that
complexity, it’s
easy for retailers
to lose sight of
what’s actually
important —
creating the
best customer
experience
both online
and offline,
throughout the
buying journey.