Technology in retail
Globally, brands are realizing the need to be able to meet the shoppers’ micro-moments with agility and to nudge them to make that purchase, and are increasingly leaning on technology to respond to the shopping micro-moments. Some great examples of brands successfully responding to shopping micro-moments include Macy’s and Rebecca Minkoff retail chains in the US. Macy’s brought down the imaginary wall separating its online and offline businesses to give its customers a seamless buying experience. Rebecca Minkoff created connected channels for seamless shopping experience, including in its dressing room. Shoppers trying dresses in the fitting rooms can interact with a “connected wall” that can save her preferences to her smartphone, and thus enabling purchase anytime later.
Fundamentally, technology should enable retailers and the brands to accomplish the following in their quest for micro-moments marketing:
- Discoverability: Being available to consumers when they are looking for ideas. According to Google, 90% of smartphone users aren’t sure of the brand choice when they begin shopping. Potential buyers are also scanning various sites & apps online for deals. It is therefore super important for brands to be discoverable online
- Answering ‘near me’ searches: Near-me searches have grown 34 times since 2011, as per Google’s data. Brands need to show up at the moment when consumers are searching for places to shop around them
- Being there when shoppers need you: Brands need to be able to listen to the shopper throughout his or her buying journey. Given the short attention spans and short bursts of action that characterizes today’s shoppers, brands risk losing the consumer’s attention by not being there in that moment. These moments could range from coupon/deal information, size/colour availability or even how-to videos
