How maintaining and developing Brick & Mortar stores can improve shopping experiences for consumers
Now that we’ve established the Significance of Brick & Mortar and revealed the reasons consumers still shop in store, we can now dive into the competitive aspect and discover new ways retailers can upgrade and innovate their physical stores to stand out in the market and appeal to both traditional and digital shoppers. Given that 76% of shoppers agree that Artificial Intelligence is improving customer experience, it can be advised that retailers take advantage of this data driven technology and disturb the traditional world of Brick & Mortar with game-changing in store shopping experiences.
INVENTORY MANAGEMENT “The future of search will be about pictures rather than keywords.”- Pinterest CEO, Ben Silbermann.
The number one trend in e-commerce is Visual Search, or Search by Image. Since this trend is so popular in the online shopping world there is no reason retailers can’t use it to help them benefit in physical stores either. One way this can happen is by using it to check inventory and stock availability. For example, should a shopper ask for a product in a certain size, the store assistant can quickly snap a shot of the product and reveal an extensive list of availabilities, similarities, and alternatives.
AUGMENTED REALITY In order to prove the harmonisation of these solutions throughout the customer journey, let’s stick to the above scenario. To give the shopper a more customised experience after using Search by Image, the store assistant could then use augmented reality or style advisor to match the chosen item with complementary pieces, offering an entire look based on the buyer’s initial choice. This Style Advisor solution could work both in the changing rooms or on tablets controlled by the sales team.
VISUAL MERCHANDISING To stay ahead of the market and up to date with the popular trends, retailers can use the advanced database to track shoppers’ preferences, e.g. most popular items, preferred colours, purchased sizes, etc. With this information, store managers can form displays to attract clients through visual merchandising and supply in store inventory accordingly. This will help invoke loyalty, increase sales, and manage stock.
These scenarios only illustrate the tip of the iceberg, as most AI solutions can offer retailers limitless advantages and strategies to maintain competitive advantage and remain relevant in the evolving market. For further examples and a more realistic depth on the topic, you can read about retailers that have already implemented this kind of technologies in their stores on AI CONCEPT STORE.
