
7 Retailers Appealing to Shoppers with Technology


Jeannie Walters, CEO, 360 Connext
Customers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience. In fact, according to a report by Harris Interactive, even in a slowing economy, 60 percent of customers say they will pay more for improved experiences.
Retailers could improve the shopping experience by leveraging technologies available. These retailers are already doing it. What can you learn from them?
1. Hointer
In their flagship store in Seattle, Hointer sells jeans, shoes and apparel with virtually no salespeople. Shoppers use their smart phones to scan a tag, select their size, and then visit the dressing room which is stocked with exactly what they need. If customers would like to purchase, they just swipe a credit card at the unmanned kiosk on the way out the door. The technology Hointer uses is confidential, but they are selling the technology as a stand-alone product to other retailers. Customers love it and are apt to provide plenty of word-of-mouth attention for the independent retailer.
2. Thomson
Using technology to create an actual “experience” to shop for travel, Thomson in the UK hopes to lure the reported three-quarters of us who research our travel online into the store. Technology within the travel stores include interactive maps where customers can explore current weather information, read customer reviews and view videos. Customers are also welcome to use their own devices with free wifi available.
3. Sears
The iconic American brand began rolling out an impressive quick return program through its “Shop Your Way” loyalty program. Members can fill out the return information online and then are guaranteed a return or exchange within five minutes at the Merchandise Pickup area at their store. As they roll out the program, making it mobile and tablet friendly for customers will be a huge experience improvement over waiting in line to make a simple return.
4. Sephora
Instead of fighting show rooming, Sephora has embraced the way customers want to shop now. Doing so has helped them grow their mobile shopping channel more than 150% from 2012 – 2013. Developing a specific mobile app to provide value to their customers has kept customers buying from them. Customers use their smart phones (with free wifi in the Sephora stores) to access prior purchases, read customer reviews, receive notifications on new products, and see product demos. Sephora to Go mobile app users can also pay for their purchases quickly and easily via their smartphones. The app is also designed to allow customers to share their latest beauty obsessions with friends on social media easily, directly from the app. An astounding two million plus users have downloaded the app!
5. Walmart
Few retailers have invested in assisting customers blend their digital and physical experiences quite like Walmart has. Walmart offers a robust mobile app that allows iPhone users to create shopping lists by scanning bar codes while they shop or using voice input. Customers can check price or product availability, thanks to precise and integrated inventory data, and even find the aisle locations of items on their list. Within the last 12 months, Walmart has also rolled out scan and go mobile payment for smartphone wielding customers. It’s worth noting here that Walmart has no official, specific loyalty program. Instead, they use multiple points of data to gain insight into customer behavior. They then build programs for the technology customers use around the reasons they are most likely to use it.
6. Tesco
The well-known grocers have signed on to use very smart screens to provide ads to those waiting in line in their retail gas stations. ‘Optim Eyes’ technology senses the demographics of the viewer and changes the messages served accordingly. The advertising also changes based on time and date, and monitors the types of products being purchased. This same technology provides scannable QR codes and social media hashtags to viewers, driving those idle line waiters into active shoppers and evangelists.
7. Nordstrom
In a welcome change, customers are reporting they are being driven to shop in stores based on social media recommendations they spot, according to Vision Critical’s recent study. Shoppers find what they love on Pinterest, for example, and then head to the store to buy that item. Some retailers, like Nordstrom, are reflecting the social showrooming by highlighting the “most pinned” items. This blending of technology and old-fashioned product display helps engage customers on both ends of the social and technology spectrum.
Technology is not separate from the customer experience. It is not just what happens behind the scenes to manage retail inventory and distribution, although that’s certainly part of it. To customers, technology is there to help provide more ease, more fun and more information as part of the entire customer experience. The best retailers will invest in technology that enhances the experience from the customer perspective. Doing so will lead to the benefits of more purchases, improved word-of-mouth and increased long-term loyalty.
Check Out Review Of CIOReview: Crunchbase, Glassdoor
Check This Out: CIOReview Overview, Muckrack
Featured Vendors
ProfitTrax AI from Smart Retail Solutions: Merging Human Perspectives with Data Analytics for Retail Profits
Infotech Global Services IT Staffing and Consulting Solutions to Advance Retail Performance and Prod
Tango Analytics: The first fully integrated Cloud based Customer & Location Predictive Analytics and
Sky IT Group: Extensive Data Gathering with Robust Reporting Functionality Yields Measurable Busines
Quantum Retail Technology: Leveraging Consumer Demand to help Retailers get the Maximum value from t
Kyrus Solutions: Celebrating 40 Years Of Service From Initial Consultation To Development, Implement
Direct Source: Hardware, Software, Integration And Installation Services That Fit Unique Retail Need
ConStrata Technology Consulting: Complements Strategic and Tactical Decisions with Information Techn
EDITOR'S PICK
Essential Technology Elements Necessary To Enable...
By Leni Kaufman, VP & CIO, Newport News Shipbuilding
Comparative Data Among Physician Peers
By George Evans, CIO, Singing River Health System
Monitoring Technologies Without Human Intervention
By John Kamin, EVP and CIO, Old National Bancorp
Unlocking the Value of Connected Cars
By Elliot Garbus, VP-IoT Solutions Group & GM-Automotive...
Digital Innovation Giving Rise to New Capabilities
By Gregory Morrison, SVP & CIO, Cox Enterprises
Staying Connected to Organizational Priorities is Vital...
By Alberto Ruocco, CIO, American Electric Power
Comprehensible Distribution of Training and Information...
By Sam Lamonica, CIO & VP Information Systems, Rosendin...
The Current Focus is On Comprehensive Solutions
By Sergey Cherkasov, CIO, PhosAgro
Big Data Analytics and Its Impact on the Supply Chain
By Pascal Becotte, MD-Global Supply Chain Practice for the...
Technology's Impact on Field Services
By Stephen Caulfield, Executive Director, Global Field...
Carmax, the Automobile Business with IT at the Core
By Shamim Mohammad, SVP & CIO, CarMax
The CIO's role in rethinking the scope of EPM for...
By Ronald Seymore, Managing Director, Enterprise Performance...
Driving Insurance Agent Productivity with Mobile and Big...
By Brad Bodell, SVP and CIO, CNO Financial Group, Inc.
Transformative Impact On The IT Landscape
By Jim Whitehurst, CEO, Red Hat
Get Ready for an IT Renaissance: Brought to You by Big...
By Clark Golestani, EVP and CIO, Merck
Four Initiatives Driving ECM Innovation
By Scott Craig, Vice President of Product Marketing, Lexmark...
Technology to Leverage and Enable
By Dave Kipe, SVP, Global Operations, Scholastic Inc.
By Meerah Rajavel, CIO, Forcepoint
AI is the New UI-AI + UX + DesignOps
By Amit Bahree, Executive, Global Technology and Innovation,...
Evolving Role of the CIO - Enabling Business Execution...
By Greg Tacchetti, CIO, State Auto Insurance
Read Also
The Journey to Swift Digital Transformation
Will data protection law reform open the door to easier international...
Virtual Immersive Learning: The Next Frontier in Higher Education
Making the Case For Moving from Health IT to Health Analytics
Data as a Business
