Shopper experience in the retail sector (Part 1)

It is very important to improve the shopper experience in both classic retail and in e-commerce. A study by Brian Cantor, published in Customer Contact Week (CCW) Digital introduces new approaches to the shopper experience. The study says that retailers are facing a new challenge: they can’t control all the important details, but shoppers still think that it is the retailer who is responsible for the whole shopping experience. Retailers need to get the control back and build their own brand.

First and foremost retailers shouldn’t forget that they mustn’t only focus on transactions, because shoppers share their experiences with colleagues, friends and family. Realising that customers represent value in this respect (Customer Lifetime Value) can make a new, higher-quality approach to the relationships with shoppers possible. This takes into consideration all the direct and indirect experiences of customers, focusing on every touchpoint possible (every channel – shops, people, self-service systems).

Shopper experience is not simply a buzzword any more, but a key part of retailers’ strategies. The problem is that many who are aware of this don’t have the necessary prerequisites: quality information about customers. Retailers that are able to build a shopper database that covers all the different channels will have much better chances for giving shoppers a better experience. They will be able to establish a deeper and more lasting relationship with their customers. (To be continued). //