Did you know that digital influences 36% of retail purchases? Well, studies reveal that 71% of consumers do in-store research of the product they are looking at to find better deals online.
Let's talk a little about "connected stores".
Brands ARE aware of consumers' new behaviour and this can be seen through connected stores. The best example is, you guessed it: Best Buy.
In 2012, Best Buy was in overall revenue decline and decided to change its strategy by adopting a "Connected Store" format. Best Buy implemented a "store-within-a-store" concept for Pacific Kitchen & Bath and Magnolia Design Center and gave the Geek Squad a centralised service desk.
For those of you more into fashion than electronics, Karl Lagerfeld opened his first stores last year in Paris. They are digitally connected with tablets in the fitting room, providing an interactive experience to their customers.
Still in fashion… let's take a look at what JCPenney started in 2011. They brought the "Findmore(r)" smart fixture to over 120 stores across the country. This smart fixture bridges the gap between in-store and online shopping by providing an interactive digital experience to customers. With this fixture, customers have access to greater merchandise selections by offering access to online purchases in stores. See something you like, try it on, too small? It's okay, you can order it online, in stores!
Today, consumers want the benefits and advantages of e-commerce (with guided research, time saving, product availability, etc.) while still conserving all the benefits of in-store purchases (human contact, product demonstrations, immediate purchases, etc.).
In order to keep up with demand, retailers need to digitalise their stores and move towards a "connected in-store experience", which will open doors to new opportunities.