Friday, February 14, 2014

Interactive Retail Environments

According to USA Today’s article Touch-screens create online shopping experience at store, “to enhance the in-store shopping experience…. retailers are looking for ways to bring the convenience, selection and ability for product comparison of the online world.” More than ever before consumers demonstrate a preference for browsing, searching and sharing in a digital environment.

To address this trend, many large-scale companies like Macy’s or Adidas with places of retail or POP environment are building interactive screens to enhance the customer experience. This can take two forms, either kiosks or digital signage. First and foremost businesses must consider the interactive technology’s impact on the bottom line. According to Retail Customer Experience, “it must be curated to specifically meet the needs of the end-users.” With that consideration in mind, those who cannot afford the massive money or space investment of interactive screens have instead opted for tablets. Tablets have the potential to be highly effective customer service tools, by shortening lines and providing an interactive sales experience.  

This form of retailing is concerned with how many different purchasing options the consumer has. Offering the interactive option is essentially offering the customer efficiency and convenience, as well as a highly-personalized experience – which many believe is one of the keys to maximizing brand loyalty.





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