What bricks-and-mortar retail can learn from e-commerce

More and more people are buying online. 41% of 14 to 29-year-olds in Germany shop online at least once a week, compared to just under one in five (19%) of the general population, according to a recent survey by BITKOM. Brick-and-mortar retailers have long recognized that the customer journey is no longer linear and are trying to take countermeasures. But how can online shoppers be enticed back into the store? Here are three methods to offer a better shopping experience.

1. shopping experience at the point of sale

Retailers talk about the shopping experience, but background chatter at the cheese counter doesn't seem to be enough for many customers. Instead, a real experience brings together different interests. Apple is a pioneer of this experience for many customers; now the tech giant is experimenting with so-called "Town Squares"community-building places. There, Apple combines shopping with community and offers programming workshops, for example, or organizes events that even those who don't want to buy a new iPhone can attend.

In addition to exceptional events, the personal experience counts: 50% of the 2000 customers surveyed by Bazaarvoice in Germany, France and the UK find personalization not only practical and convenient, but also very useful. This includes, for example, the evaluation of purchase history and personalized product recommendations. Both are possible online in the first step, but also offline. For a seamless continuation of the digital in-store experience, for example, customer advisors can use tablets to scan customer cards and immediately provide the right advice.

Most companies (81%) are already following this trend and want to focus more on personalized content in the next twelve to 18 months. This is the result of a recent survey of 400 retailers in EMEA conducted by Bazaarvoice. And in order for brands and retailers to offer the most personalized shopping experience, the right data is required. For example, if a DIY store is already networked with the manufacturer of drilling machines, the manufacturer can inform it that a user has already searched for drilling machines online. The retailer can then make this customer individual offers on site that match their search, for example via push notification on their smartphone.

2. combine online and offline experiences

Although the majority of people still store in stores, 46% have no preference in the above-mentioned BITKOM survey. Many consumers combine both channels if it brings them advantages - for example, to research prices in-store or read customer reviews of the product on their smartphone: According to BITKOM, almost one in two people shop with their smartphone and 93 percent research a product on their mobile device, while 84 percent regularly or sometimes read reviews.

Mobile is therefore an important channel when it comes to combining online and offline offerings. But how do retailers approach the topic of mobile? 96% of the retailers surveyed by Bazaarvoice consider the optimized mobile view of their offer to be a differentiating feature, 86% focus on the mobile shopping experience and want to expand this more in the next twelve to 18 months. Both are good approaches, but if you want to combine and use mobile and stationary shopping experiences, you need to understand online shopping as part of the in-store shopping experience.

3. the discovery of simplicity

How can retailers improve the in-store experience? Nearly one in two consumers (48 percent) in the Bazaarvoice survey say tech innovations should make shopping easier. Virtual room setups with VR furniture are a nice toy, but consumers are more excited about automated checkouts, online ordering options from stores and mobile offerings.

Some German companies are already in the process of fulfilling these wishes. REWE, for example, offers an integrated online store in its app with pre-order options for pick-up. EDEKA allows customers to pay directly with its app in selected stores. These offers are aimed at making shopping easier and more convenient for customers. Among other things, these are the companies' first steps towards connecting online and offline. Where the journey will take us is still uncertain. The US department store Nordstrom offers a glimpse: products that are particularly popular on Pinterest are already being marked with signs. In this way, the popular social network aims to transfer its appeal to the products on site.

Conclusion: Consumer-generated content improves the shopper experience

More and more people are shopping online every day, but they don't want to miss out on the physical store. For retailers, the key lies in combining both channels. One approach to this is the mobile channel - the smartphone is not only the key to the online store for most consumers, but also an advisory companion when shopping on site. Consumer-generated content (CGC) is particularly important here, such as product reviews from customers or visual content such as photo galleries of products. They help customers to find out more about the products on site.

A second key for retailers is the experience - customers have the choice to simply order online at any time. That's why big brands like Apple and the US chain Target are focusing on more in-store experiences, with community events or a super-local offering that adapts to local needs. Either way, retailers will have to come up with more ideas to attract customers online and offline - and the right technology can be crucial.

Mahsa Saoudi is Solutions Consultant DACH at Bazaarvoice. With the online shopping network Bazaarvoice, companies can enter into dialog with consumers online, in-store or via mobile devices. Leading technologies are available for this purpose, which include targeted advertising and authentic consumer-generated content such as ratings and reviews, curated photos, social posts and videos.