While the high street’s star may be on the wane, it has certainly not disappeared yet. The popularity of recently opened retail zones such as Westfield and Liverpool One, and the fact that Oxford Street is still fit-to-burst on any day of the week, shows that shopping still ranks highly among our national leisure activities.

Undeniably, the popularity of online shopping is growing year-on-year, and will most likely continue to do so, but the ritual of going to the shopping centre or high street still holds great appeal and there is still no substitute for holding a product in your hands before making a purchase, or the pleasure of shopping with friends or family.

With both types of shopping attractive to consumers, and for very different reasons, savvy retailers should be looking for ways to integrate the two.

Indeed, a look at the major retail players shows that the most successful companies are already integrating online and offline. Argos, with the roll out of its ‘click and collect’ service is a prime example, as is the fact that many retailers will already allow customers to purchase a product online but return items in-store.

It’s also possible to integrate online and offline retailing further by encouraging customers to both visit your store, and purchase online. And it needn’t be complicated. We’ve helped our clients use their physical retail premise to deliver online sales simply by providing free wifi and apps which enable customers to make an online purchase while still in-store.

But why would a customer want to do this? To take one example, you see a dress or shirt you like, but they don’t have it in your size. If you know you want it, integrated wifi and a QR code leading you directly to that product on the company’s website enables you to purchase it with just a few taps. Similarly, you may want to visit a computer store to try out the laptops on offer, but if you’re out shopping for the day, carrying around a heavy – and expensive – box, around is inconvenient. By enabling consumers to explore their options in-store, but buy online, they get the best of both worlds.

With QR codes on every product display, or attached to every clothing rail, the consumer who may well have walked away or made a purchase elsewhere is converted into a customer with just a few clicks.

The consumer benefits of this kind of shopping go beyond simply being able to purchase the product they want with confidence. Aside from any concerns around data security when online shopping, the convenience of buying something online quickly has its payback when you find yourself stood in a Post Office queue returning something via recorded delivery. If customers can find a way of avoiding this, yet still making the purchases they want, they will.

And for the retail owner, this sort of integration enables them to convert from a mere point of sale into an integrated brand experience – somewhere between a shop, a gallery and a showroom – and find other ways to engage with their customers beyond the merely transactional. For example, staff who would formerly have been manning tills can work in a more consultative manner and thus greatly enhance the customer experience.

For savvy businesses then, integrating the online and offline retail will not just mean providing a more comprehensive and engaging consumer experience; it will also have a real positive impact on the bottom line.
For too long, online and offline shopping have been viewed as discrete entities. Finding ways to combine the two is a key way for retail businesses to stay relevant and competitive.

 

By Paul Soanes, Managing Partner, Worth

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