Sapo customer experience marketing company Kathleen Wiersch became a retail vandal in the 19 th century, the world\'s largest retailer in the 20 th century, and Sears filed for bankruptcy in 2018. What happened?
Sears did not meet the needs of \"omni-channel\" consumers, a term created in the mobile Internet era.
The omni-channel approach allows consumers to make purchases using devices and locations in any combination they like.
While digital local tyrants may take the flexibility of the Omni-channel retail world for granted, traditional retailers like Sears who have not accepted it have wavered.
A recent survey found that millennials (
22-year-old consumer37)
Shopping online accounts for 60%.
But for older shoppers, especially for big items, it\'s still important to go to the store and feel the item.
How do retailers know where to invest?
There are many stories about the \"retail apocalypse\" brought about by changing buyer behavior, including the emergence of e-commerce, especially Amazon\'s success.
But some retailers are also booming.
Bob discount furniture, based in Manchester, Connecticut, is one of them.
\"We are the original vandals in the furniture industry, adopting the\" daily low price \"model,\" said Scott Perry, vice president of discount furniture digital for Bob.
\"From our early foray into e-commerce, we think our website is a complement to our physical stores.
\"Furniture sales are usually large items with a longer decision-making cycle than other consumer goods.
They are big items for retailers, and the cost of shipping is high.
According to several studies in recent years, household goods categories consisting of products such as sofas are traditionally one of the most unlikely categories to be purchased online.
\"We saw an early signal in the customer data we collected that a mixed omni-channel buying experience was needed.
We have added technology that allows our customers to study, experience and purchase furniture according to their preferences. At least 75-
85% of our customers use our e-commerce site at some point in the purchase process, \"Perry said.
The adoption of new technologies in the retail industry has been hailed as a change in the retail industry. Several technologies have not yet been widely selected.
\"We were early adopters, but the data
\"Early adopters,\" Perry said.
\"We have an augmented reality (AR)
The app allows customers to imagine what a piece of furniture would look like in their own home.
Before we launched it, we made a business case based on the data and it will help both online and onlineShop shopping.
We also ensure that this new technology is integrated into existing processes, which means training everyone.
The app is popular and the cost of development is rewarded.
When asked where future growth will come from, Perry replied, \"we still believe that the core reason for our growth is that we treat our customers well and provide them with value.
The technology we have added is built on a good foundation of trust and simplicity from not having to join members or follow seasonal promotions.
Some areas we are investing in, such as 3D room planning, will help you imagine a space you haven\'t even moved in yet.
Unless we continue to align with the customer\'s preferences and feedback, none of these investments will pay off.
