Shopper insights refer to the data and research gathered about shoppers, their behaviors, and preferences. This information can be used by retailers to better understand their customers so they can develop more effective strategies for engaging them. Retail activation is the implementation of these strategies in order to drive sales and improve customer experience. Examples of retail activation include running promotions or campaigns, creating loyalty programs, offering discounts or rewards, providing personalized service, utilizing digital marketing techniques such as email blasts or social media outreach, and optimizing store layouts for maximum efficiency. By combining shopper insights with retail activation tactics, retailers are able to create an environment that encourages customers to make purchases while also providing them with a positive shopping experience.
Embrace Good Friction
Of course, even the most positive shopping experience might produce a little bit of friction. So, what if a business employed modern macro-innovation means of ease of use, automation and Amazonification for the team but made it more difficult on the primary beneficiary of the work, the customer? Best-selling author, Soon Yu, has put forth the EMBRACE hypothesis. The seven virtues of good friction: (E)xclusivity, (M)eaning, (B)elonging, (R)apport, (A)ssurance, (C)ompetence, and (E)ngagement. And so, if frictionless is possibly fruitless, how is good friction achieved? How about Yu’s EMBRACE philosophy?
Yu offers that employing each virtue drives desire and loyalty. It’s based on the process that, “the world is running rapidly toward this idea of becoming seamless and frictionless. But when it comes to signature experiences, if you’re too seamless, if you’re too frictionless, you become forgettable.” Forgettable is pretty bad, but that’s when you have an opportunity. Yu points out that, “oftentimes when I’m searching on Amazon, if things are going to take more than two or three days to arrive, I automatically don’t even look at those. I only look at the Prime ones.” Fighting the frictionless game might mean not even having an opportunity to transact business.
And so, if frictionless is possibly fruitless, how is good friction achieved? Check out Seth Adler’s All Things Insights conversation with Soon Yu regarding his EMBRACE formula.
Creating A Positive Shopping Experience
So how can retailers create an omnichannel shopping experience? According to ChatGPT, there are several ways to optimize the shopping experience, creating a seamless journey both online and in-store.
- Optimize your website for mobile devices: Make sure your website is optimized for mobile devices, as most customers prefer to shop via their phones or tablets. This means making sure your site loads quickly and looks great on any device.
- Integrate online and offline shopping experiences: Integrate online and offline shopping experiences by offering in-store pickup options, allowing customers to order items online and pick them up at a local store, or providing same-day delivery services if available in your area. Additionally, make sure that the checkout process is seamless across all channels so the customer can switch between stores without having to start over from scratch each time they switch platforms.
- Leverage data to personalize the experience: Use customer data such as past purchases or browsing history to tailor offers specifically for that individual customer’s needs and preferences in order to create an omnichannel experience that feels tailored just for them.
- Offer multiple payment options: Make it easy for customers by giving them multiple payment options including credit cards, debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, etc., so they can choose whichever works best for them when placing an order with you no matter what channel they are using (online/offline).
- Create loyalty programs: Encourage repeat business by offering loyalty rewards programs which give discounts or free shipping based on certain criteria such as purchase amount or frequency of orders placed over a period of time – this will help build brand recognition among shoppers who may be more open to trying out new products from you due to their loyalty program benefits.
