opinion
of house, and staff dedicated to ‘tidying
up’ rather than. selling. While no model is
perfect, these examples of the broader
concept, dynamic fulfilment continues to
be a huge driver of efficiency and growth
in the retail sector. And as consumers
gravitate towards more compelling
experiences, other retailers are offering
boutique selections in-store, leveraging
high-touch experiences like interactive
dressing room mirrors or self-service
kiosks, and using inventory scarcity as an
advantage. Get it now or it’s gone forever.
When a customer walks in, they
either know what they want
(searching), or they are looking for
inspiration (browsing).
Physical complements online
Online retail today continues to
accelerate. It proves challenging for
executives determining where to invest,
largely because there’s almost absolute
attribution in e-commerce where most
stores are data-starved. For example,
if you’re a soft-goods retailer with 25%
conversion of store traffic, that means
75% of customers walking through your
store are absolute mysteries. If they shop
online later, how do you possibly know
that the in-store experience was a part of
that journey? But this doesn’t mean the
future is purely online, it just means the
role of physical retail stores has shifted.
When the best-known e-commerce
brands start doing well, what do they
start doing? They open up stores. Warby
Parker, Bonobos, Cuyana, ModCloth,
even Amazon and Alibaba are all opening
stores at a rapid pace.
44 KIOSK solutions
Retail has morphed into a packaged deal
inclusive of online and offline compo-
nents. Successful brands realise they
need to cater to all shoppers, not only
those online. Customers from all gener-
ations still prefer to try products before
buying them. Traditional online retailers
have recognised that the try before buy
trend can be an opportunity. As an ex-
ample, stores like Bonobos have opened
Guide Shops, which are specifically
meant for try before you buy. By the way,
when Bonobos had done this their cus-
tomer base grew, average basket sizes
grew, and the numbers were compelling.
The perfect blend of online and offline
comes when retailers like Bonobos drive
physical traffic in their stores and leverage
their online-first. This inventory flexibility
removes huge pain-points bogging down
the traditional retail model – inventory
accuracy, back of house allocation vs front
Approach stores like websites
Many people claim that shopping online
is an easier experience with better
customer service and less friction. But
why can’t you apply those benefits to
physical stores? You can – if you think of
your in-store experience like a funnel. In
the same way, e-commerce sites measure
the drop-off points between common
customer journeys, stores are beginning
to embrace the same systems for
identifying ‘friction.’
When a customer walks in, they either
know what they want (searching), or they
are looking for inspiration (browsing). Let
customers self-identify, and then help
them to optimise their journey for either
speed or experience. Search for moments
to make your shopping experience
unforgettable. 48% of customers won’t
ask for help when they see an item they
like but not their exact size or desired
colour when 81% of the time it’s in the
stockroom.
Forrester suggests that as much as
10% of retail sales are lost due to items
not being in stock when 98% of the time
it can be shipped directly to their door.
And if you don’t have an item for try-on
in-store, a virtual dressing room mirror
can allow your customers to envision
that item on themselves in any colour in
your inventory, adding unprecedented
confidence to their ‘site-unseen’ purchase
more than an online store can provide.
Sounds like a great opportunity for