Top 3 Tips for Retailers to Engage Customers
This year, New York City is hosting NRF’s Convention & EXPO. Attendees experience unparalleled education and networking opportunities during this annual event. As part of the experience, the Retail Council of Canada in partnership with Microsoft Canada host a bus tour showcasing some of the most forward-thinking retail locations around the city. The afternoon kicked off at Avanade’s NYC location with a tour of their customer experience solutions. Afterwards, three buses full of retailers set off to tour New York City’s most technologically-advanced stores. Here are three learnings from the tour that retailers can apply to their business models.
Embrace Technology
Embracing technology is essential for retailers. Sounds obvious, right? More than ever, retailers and brands are under pressure to embrace digital transformation to thrive in today’s competitive environment. As we walked through the Sonos’ Soho location in NYC, we spoke with Ross Anicai, Associate Vice President of Store Design for Canadian Tire. “What is fascinating for me is how retailers understand that tech and innovation is what consumers are looking for, so they use this to enhance the customer experience. Every store you go through has a high degree of technology. Those that don’t embrace tech won’t survive,” he said. The Sonos location focuses on customer experience rather than product display. Customers relax in mini living room pods to test the speakers in an environment like their homes – providing them with something not offered online or in typical retail settings. Learn how to use technology to give consumers the experience they’re looking for with our Retail Jumpstart Bundle.
Meet Consumer Expectations
As we toured through Casper’s popup mattress store location, we spoke with Michael Kevany, IT Manager for Best Buy Canada. “This is my first time on the tour, but I decided to come for the opportunity to see what’s happening in retail. I wanted to see first-hand what top brands are up to. Coming to NRF, I’m more about the exhibitors and seeing the technology in store,” he said. Casper is gaining notoriety for changing the way people shop for mattresses. The retail location encourages customers to relax, take a nap or shop for Casper products. Expectations are growing, attention spans are shrinking, and competition is fiercer than ever. Learn how to navigate the waters of these new consumer expectations.
Create a Seamless Experience
Customers respond best to experiences that are personal and relevant – taking them from what they’re seeing online to what they’re experiencing in-store. Creating this seamless experience is becoming more and more important as retailers embrace the newest technology solutions. Microsoft offers solutions to collect and understand customer behaviours and respond with offers and experiences that are personal, engaging, and relevant. During the tour, we spoke with Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis at Dollarama. “You might have a problem but you’re not thinking that technology is applicable. But you need to consider how it can used to solve these problems,” he said. You can learn more about how other retailers are using Microsoft technology to engage their customers and create a seamless experience.
What is your company doing to engage customers and stay ahead of the competition? We would love to hear from you – tweet us!
