In-Store Mobile Technology: An Opportunity for Fashion Retailers
Retailers must find new ways to establish relationships with their clients, to benefit them through three great topics: information, comfort and entertainment. The fulfillment of this objective may come about when introducing in-store mobile technology.
Why introduce in-store mobile technology?
66% of shoppers are more likely to purchase at retailers that offer in-store mobile technology, an increase of 52% year-over-year. As many as 73% of respondents view the availability of in-store mobile technology as a signal of better customer service and loyalty. Additionally, 90% of smart phone owners use their devices in the store.
The mobile phone has conquered our lives, recasting our consumption habits and showing us new points of access to products. Therefore the introduction of in-store mobile technology is more than a solution, it is a logical evolution. Now consumers have gone from showrooming to the thick of the action. They don’t just want to look for and compare prices, rather, consumers are also buying through their mobile devices.
Using mobile as a connecting tool can help drive higher conversion rates in-store, giving retailers the ability to influence the behavior of shoppers.
To introduce mobile devices in-store or to allow clients to use their own devices?
Mobile in-store technology is becoming part of the whole shopping experience for consumers, from research to point of sale. So during the last year, brands have, for the purpose of seducing and attracting clients, come to gamble on the incorporation of in-store interactive screens. But surprisingly they have seen little use. Probably because they are unfamiliar and because sales personnel rarely encourage their use, though this lack of attention may be a consequence of the offered functions.
In this sense it may be more effective to allow clients to use their own devices in the store. Though ideally both would coexist, especially if both solutions can add value for the consumer.
What could retailers do to engage consumers on their phones in store?
The image search feature provides a new way to find similar items, to connect the StreetStyle with a catalog or to access more information about the product. Introduce visual search and image recognition technology in apps, eCommerces and magic mirrors, for example, reduce the search and browsing time, simplify the overall product discovery and, above all, improve the purchase experience.
These are some of the solutions that can be offered through the integration of visual search engines into the different sales channels. Because a simple click may elevate the purchase experience to the next level:
- Simplify access to additional information on the product: a simple snap may take you to the product’s profile so you may consult anything from the clothes’ materials to how costumers have reviewed them. Here it is of vital importance to have a complete, attractive and functional product page. A decisive factor for conversion.
- Discover and recommend other similar clothes: due to strategy or capacity, a store never has their whole collection or stock permanently in all sizes. Allowing costumers to easily find similar items to the ones you are seeing may be a solution, in addition to offering a satisfactory purchase experience.
- Automate mix & match: 65% of costumers confess they have not purchased a piece of clothing because they have doubts on how to wear it. Recommending a look for each piece of clothing taking into account the store available trends and stocks may increase sales at the same time as costumer satisfaction.
- Customize offers: Consumers in the digital age are always open to advertisement, as long as it means promotional customized actions. Therefore, it is worth it to take advantage of actionable data obtained from searches made by users.
The purchase experience becomes a tour between screens. To conquer it, all one has to do is do it well: make it pretty, easy to use and full of service options. Because if they aren’t in your website, they will be in someone else’s. And they will take the sale.
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