3 WAYS ONLINE INDUSTRIES CAN INSPIRE RETAIL
While people feared that the rise of online retail would spell the end of the high street, it’s been proven that this simply isn’t true.
Still, success for brick-and-mortar retailers in today’s environment depends on them adapting to meet the changing needs and habits of shoppers.
A 365 Retail article argues that traditional retailers should look to the digital space for inspiration, listing three top techniques that could be easily implemented in-store.
- Diversification
This concept is certainly not new, however it’s one that online brands seem to have mastered. The idea of diversification is that brands pivot to identify which new, related products and services they can sell alongside their existing offering.
Take the online casino sector, for example. Online poker proved a hit back in the early 2000s, when there was a sharp rise in the number of poker platforms and providers. Most platforms offered the same services, so there was lots of competition – operators smart enough to identify exactly what players wanted grew quickly to lead the market and altered the way their services were run.
PokerStars Casino is perhaps the most recognisable name of the brands operating in the market at that time. Once specialising purely in poker, the online brand has diversified to offer a whole suite of casino games. The brand understood that as demand for new games grew, it had to grow with the industry to succeed.
Retailers wishing to stay competitive should look to invest in products and services that complement what they already offer.
- Embrace technology
Online brands make the most of the latest technology available to them – that’s a given. So, how can brick-and-mortar retailers utilise the latest tech and still inspire shoppers to visit them in-store? One way, explains the article, is through AR.
Many retailers are now using AR to enable shoppers to visualise what a product would look like in their home – whether it’s a sofa in their lounge, or a wardrobe in a bedroom. High-street brands could replicate this with AR-powered mirrors, which allow shoppers to try on lots of outfits in a short space of time, without having to go into a changing room.
- Get social
While the traditional high street has always been a social space, in the last few years the word ‘social’ has taken on a new meaning. We no longer associate the word ‘social’ with friends meeting up, but rather with likes and shares. And while there’s nothing wrong with this, social channels tend to direct traffic to online platforms rather than stores. So, besides running social ads, how can physical retailers make the most of social?
E-commerce stores are very good at this. They regularly provide vouchers or discount codes for shoppers who tag the store in a social post; physical retailers can do the same for shoppers who check-in at the store. Exclusive discounts for store fans could also be dished out to shoppers who like and/or follow the store on social media.
These are just three of the many ways high street brands can take inspiration from the online world. Our team at The Delta Group have been creating and producing printed and digital solutions for nearly 30 years, so if you would like to discuss solutions that will encourage shoppers into your store, please email hello@thedeltagroup.com.
