In recent years, the impact of mobile culture has infiltrated the retail sector. Shoppers want a premium customer experience, but they want more than that.
Shopping trends for 2017 that are already here will surprise you with their diversity and innovation. They’re trends retailers should be taking note of to stay competitive in an ever-changing environment.
All about the experience.
Every sector of commerce, from travel to luxury brands and core retail shopping, has been impacted by the experience economy. As the world around us changes, people are becoming increasingly aware of the value of experiences.
For retailers, this means thinking outside the box. When shoppers come into retail store, they want to discover something they can’t anywhere else. Whether that’s a harpist playing 90s pop tunes, or a stylist offering makeovers, or a discussion of fashion trends, your shoppers want an experience that’s unforgettable and singular.
Above all, adding elements of surprise and delight to your retail experience makes your store a destination. Going beyond the idea of purchasing objects, experience-based retailing means going three-dimensional to offer your shoppers added value.
Longing for connection.
The big box store has lost its allure. Today, shoppers want to feel they’re part of something. Independent retailers are seeing a spike in sales due to this effect and its magic ingredient is creating a sense of connection.
Reaching out to your customers means knowing them. Some of that involves building up online communities around your brand that offer shoppers a window into your products and services. That can mean adding your customers to a select area of your website, where they’ll find out about promotions before others.
It can also mean creating events that revolve around your customer base – a fashion show that addresses them personally, a community event they can participate in, or a unique opportunity to connect with you and your business on a personal level.
Main Street, with its mom and pops may be long gone, but the longing for connection has re-surfaced. Retailers are called upon to answer that longing with opportunities to bring your customers into a circle of mutual benefit.
Social shopping.
Until this year, shopping online has had one barrier – it failed to deliver on the modern imperative of instant gratification. But that barrier is rapidly being overcome, as retailers find new ways to get their online offerings directly to shoppers, without delay.
In New York City, this has been pioneered. Partnering with ground delivery services, online retailers can place purchases into consumer hands on the same day. That’s good news for consumers, but brick and mortar retailers can benefit too, when their social media and website ducks are all in a tidy row, ready to go.
Experience, connection and social shopping are three major shopping trends in 2017 that are already here. The question is, how are you going to deploy them?
Contact Clip Strip Corp. to find out how we can professionalize your retail outlet by bringing it crisp clarity and consistency with leading edge POP display supports.