Did you know that for every pound you spend in-store, you’ll likely spend another £0.36 online within the same retail chain?
With customer loyalty rapidly decreasing, providing a memorable Brick & Mortar experience could be the key to increasing the CLV (Customer Lifetime Value) of your in-store customers. More importantly, perhaps, is the need to ensure they can spend that extra 36p per pound as easily as possible by integrating your online experience with their in-store journey. Let’s take a look at how we can encourage in-store shoppers to interact with your brand online, even after walking out of your physical store.
Introduce an In-Store Mobile App
Let’s start with making the in-store experience as smooth and efficient as possible. One way to do this is by introducing a mobile app that customers can use while in-store so that retailers can offer personalised product recommendations and promotions to customers by anlaysing their browsing history. The app would provide a better understanding of the customer’s interests and preferences and will help you to offer targeted promotions, either in the moment (in-store) or at a later late (online).
71% of shoppers said they use their mobile device while in-store to research products or compare prices anyway so it makes sense to centralise the information they typically search for in one place. An app would have many practical uses for the customer such as providing access to detailed product information; including pricing, material, sizing specifications, and reviews. This would help them make more informed purchasing decisions and increase their confidence in the product. You could also use the app to show customers what sizes are in stock in real-time, saving time searching for out-of-stock items. Similarly, offering mobile checkout means that customers can avoid waiting in line and provides a more efficient and convenient checkout experience.
If the ease and added convenience of the app isn’t enough, you could consider offering discounts or rewards for the use of a mobile app in-store to be redeemed online in the future. Once customers can see the benefits of using the app whilst shopping, data would be collected to connect their in-store journey with their online journey down the track.
Capture Data Whenever Possible
As mentioned above, in order to drive online traffic and attribute it to previous instore interactions, data needs to be collected wherever possible. Whether it be in using the mobile app, offering loyalty program sign-up at check out or sending a digital receipt, collecting an email address allows the brand to contact the customer and generate more digital touch points after they leave the store.
The mobile app, loyalty programmes and digital receipts (tagged to an email) all help to create customer profiles which, in turn, create upsell opportunities online. Website pop-ups, email campaigns about certain products and cart suggestions can be utilised to increase the AOV (Average Order Value) of returning customers. Some brands go beyond these traditional methods to capture data in store and brands should seek creative ways to seek personal identifiable information. Some examples include Shell’s cross-channel coupon campaign (in which customers were given the opportunity to win prizes by entering codes found on product packaging and store receipts) or Away Luggage, Nordstorm & Delta Airlines’ sweepstakes collaboration (where consumers could win a $2,000 gift card for Delta and Nordstorm as well as a three-piece Away Luggage suitcase set).
Create Interactive Experiences
Driving online traffic doesn’t always have to mean re-directing in-store shoppers directly to the checkout of your eCommerce store. Remember: the main reason people continue to shop in-store is for the experience… So, don’t neglect that desire when they jump online – nurture them and promote repetitive touch points which will inevitably lead to a sale.
For example, the average daily usage of social media is 2 hours and 31 minutes so this creates an undeniable opportunity to increase your brand visibility after leaving the store. So, let’s start with social media and encouraging shoppers to engage with your online brand through creating UGC (User Generated Content). Offering a discount for following or tagging your brand on Instagram is one thing but installing an in-store attraction that people naturally want to take a photo with would be another.
In a lavish example, Louis Vuitton created a giant tiger tail installation in celebration of the Chinese new year, which blew up on social media. I’m sure they didn’t need to incentivise their customers to share photos of this experience. Using hashtags or integrating UGC into your website are great ways to increase the association with your brand for the in-store shopper, as well as their social media audience.
In Conclusion, omnichannel shoppers spend 10% more online than single-channel shoppers, according to a survey by HBR Consulting. This indicates that providing a seamless omnichannel shopping experience can drive sales both in-store and online.
Watch our video below on how a reliable POS solution can help drive your online traffic through in-store channels!
