How connected data personalizes shoppers’ experience
Providing a personalized experience that’s “just right” — not overly intrusive but offering information relevant to each shopper — is the Holy Grail of retail.
Deep visibility into data unified across channels and technologies through the Retail Pro Prism platform can give retailers the level of information needed to offer the right products to the right customers at the right time, through a preferred channel or combination of channels.
A single view of inventory, orders and customer data provided by a unified system of technologies offers retailers insights about their entire business in real time.
But unified commerce has a customer benefit also, allowing customers to take advantage of up-to-date product inventories and the flexibility to browse, buy, and fulfill orders any way they choose.
Read now: What does it take to unify commerce?
Creating interaction points to learn what your customer wants
Customers want efficient trips and will seek retailers that streamline the purchasing process, and which may include an online-to-offline experience.
Enhancing purchasing channels so they complement and build on each other helps retailers optimize their investments, focus efforts, and support their customers’ journeys.
Omnichannel offers customers multiple touch points, each a part of a seamless experience, and unified data helps retailers deliver instant, informed personalization.
One way to do that is to review past purchase data, converged between transactions in-store with Retail Pro, on ecommerce, mobile, social sales, and any other channels a retailer may use.
But for new visitors, providing interactive content not only engages the shopper but also benefits the retailer by sharing customer likes—and dislikes—with the retailer.
That data helps build a unique profile for future interactions whether online or in-store.
Every personalized shopping experience is created based on customer interactions.
As the retailer determines customer intent, an online strategy must be in place to quickly feature certain products in a relevant manner, with pertinent information and offers readily available and presented to the customer with immediacy.
Matching products to the right customer with personalized recommendations
While customers appreciate personalized shopping, unified commerce also provides retailers the data for targeted inventory.
By converging a customer’s interactions with your brand at various touchpoints into one cohesive customer profile and analyzing that holistic data, retailers can learn what products are popular for which types of customers.
The information can inform text and email messaging through AppCard for Retail Pro, providing personalized content which entices shoppers to visit (or return to) brick and mortars.
Stores can reduce or optimize in-store inventory by matching certain high-inventory products to potentially interested customers.
Based on analyzing shoppers’ data, a store can determine what products will appeal to which customers and present those options proactively.
Communications that are in the know with the customer
Customer segments may require different handling; some use email, others text messaging.
Retailers who can reach the customer during the decision-making process will remain top-of-mind as a trusted provider of quality goods and services.
Engagement might be driven through personalized email reminders that highlight where they can pick up their purchased product in-store, as well as recommending complimentary products to the items they just purchased.
Mobile push notifications or text messages can highlight related items to opted-in shoppers via the retailer’s app or loyalty program.
Most important is the unified experience from the customer’s point of view: When he or she returns to the retailer’s site, they should also see updated recommendations and search results based on in-store — or previous online —purchases.
Unified commerce provides the foundation for customers to easily shop whenever and wherever they want, including starting on one channel and finishing through another.
And that is an important step toward frictionless retail.
